#he deserves to be mayor so much more than lewis

[stardewremixed]

Pierre gets so much flak...

...for being a bad shopkeeper

...for taking credit for your produce

...for being a bad husband.

BUT...

He really doesn't deserve all of it.

Let's break this down.

He is a small businessowner in a small community, struggling to compete against the BIG CORPORATE store, Joja. He has to get his products from somewhere and he is proud to be locally sourced (and you willing participate in this system as the Farmer unless you chose another route). Keep in mind. The man goes around to collect things from bins between when you go to bed and 6am. And he still gets up and runs his business the next day. I want to know when he sleeps, poor dude. (EDIT: My bad... I skipped the intro on my last few playthroughs and forgot it is Lewis who collects your stuff. Then again, Lewis could be getting a cut of whatever he "sells" to Pierre or he could be stealing from your profits, which just further proves the Mayor's shady side). Also, I think it's completely normal/natural to be proud of his little shop. He's worked hard unlike... *cough cough* Mayor Lewis, I'm looking at you.

I'm not a small business owner, but I am friends with a few. Running a business is hard, especially when you don't have much help. Abigail is pretty focused on her own stuff, and Caroline hosts fitness classes, but otherwise, she is a stay-at-home mom/housewife and takes long walks (to stare at nothing, mind you). They could be a bit more grateful or pitch in a little more. He seems to have an exclusive contract (except for the Grange Day event/Night Market) to sell at festivals, outside his normal hours, which is a good way for him to make extra cash. He probably needs it to keep up on his property taxes (home/business) and all the other business expenses, and let's be honest, keep Abigail/Caroline comfortable.

He doesn't have other employees, which is actually semi-believable in a town this size. This means that Pierre has to do all the work: find the merchandise, write up contracts, collect the merch, display the merch, ring up sales, pay taxes, manage the books, maintenance/ repairs, and the marketing (via the mail, what little he can, and direct mailings aren't cheap; this I know from working at a small company IRL). I'm probably forgetting an overhead expense. Small businessowners/people who work for themselves often do end up putting in more time/more effort than other types of workers... because they HAVE to. There's no one else to do it. It's long grueling hours, often a thankless job, and when you're competing against a bigger business, it is that much harder. No wonder the guy closes on Wednesdays. He deserves a day off, people.

And at least he is working to provide for his family and a service to the community.

(What are you doing, Mayor? Making statues of yourself???)

#stardew valley rant #sdv pierre #stardewremixed #sdv abigail #sdv caroline #sdv lewis

[psalm22-6]

Source: the California Aggie, 8 May 1998

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Sometimes, the old clichés are the best way to describe what’s wrong with a film. Of course, there’s another, even more terse way to do it. Why? Les Miserables is one of the world’s most popular musicals, still raking in the bucks after all these years. Victor Hugo’s book is a classic, taught in French classes everywhere. So why does Hollywood have to screw it all up and make a movie out of it? That’s a rhetorical question. These days, if an idea hasn’t been replicated within the last five years, it’s time to update it. The film version of Les Miserables adds absolutely nothing to the novel or the musical. Despite some outstanding performances, it is dark, drab and, worst of all, dull. Liam Neeson nearly manages to carry the film to quality status by himself as Jean Valjean, who was imprisoned in his youth for stealing bread. Under the harsh French judicial system, he was forced to do hard labor for 19 years for his crime. Even when he’s released on parole, he must carry papers with him identifying him as a dangerous criminal, which severely limits his life opportunities. He steals silverware and silver candlesticks from an elderly clergyman, and is caught. Rather than turning him in, the clergyman lets him go with the silver, buying him anew life and saying that Jean Valjean “belongs to God now.” The film switches between time periods, much like acts in a play, and the next time we see Valjean is nine years later, when he has become mayor of a small French village, Vigeaux. He has become rich from running a factory in Vigeaux, where all the employees are treated well, just the opposite from Valjean’s work camp. But Valjean has a couple of problems. First, one of his female workers is fired for raising an illegitimate child — Fantine (Uma Thurman) is forced to become a whore to pay her daughter Cosette’s medical bills. Of even greater concern is that there is anew head inspector in Vigeaux by the name of Javert (Geoffery Rush of Shine). Javert recognizes Valjean from his days in prison and makes it his life mission to expose him as a convict so that he can never live a happy life. Javert and Fantine cross paths when he busts her for prostitution. Valjean comes to the rescue, further vexing Javert, who finally manages to get Valjean to admit his past. Valjean promises to protect the dying Fantine’s daughter and flees to Paris just ahead of Javert, who never gives up looking for Valjean — even after 20 years. He believes “a wolf may wear sheep’s clothing, but is still a wolf.” It’s a fairly complicated and far-reaching plot, which is why it’s probably left in novel form. The film even leaves out one of the main characters from Hugo’s work, Eponine, who falls in love with the same man as Cosette (played by Claire Danes as a teenager). The main problem with the film is that it doesn’t accomplish anything that the musical or novel did not. There isn’t much sweeping cinematography or overly dramatic moments. The sad scenes, mostly involving Danes, aren’t affecting. The filmmakers could have shot some truly spectacular battle scenes that a musical wouldn’t be able to portray, but these scenes are glossed over and made incidental. Those without a major in European history are left in the cold with the unexplained events of French upheaval at the turn of the 19th century. For an excellent example of how to make this kind of film, the producers should have watched Daniel Day Lewis’ The Last of the Mohicans, adapted from James Fenimore Cooper’s novel. 

The acting isn’t the problem. The ladies provide good showings, although they are outshone by the Rush and Neeson, particularly the latter. It’s about time that Neeson got the respect he deserved for being one of cinema’s best actors. His characters in Schindlers List and Michael Collins are some of the most memorable and understated performances of the decade. Still, it’s not enough. You might not feel completely miserable if you have to sit through the two hours plus of Les Miserables, but you might feel some of the symptoms.

#les miserables #lm 1998 #vintage advertisement

[husbandohunter]

Stardew Impact [Genshin+Stardew Valley/xReader]

Part 1/3 Kaeya, Diluc

Synopsis: “A mysterious phenomenon brought you and your s/o to an unfamiliar world: Pelican Town! Without the power of Visions, the two of you begin to learn the life of what it takes to be...a farmer?”

(DOMESTIC FARM LIFE YIP YIP)

Coming soon...

Albedo and Childe

Zhongli and Xiao

(A/N): So the brainrot was real in this one. I planned to add Albedo for a Mondstadt edition but kinda went overboard so I gotta split this one into parts too. Wordcount_almost 2k spspspsp

______________________________________________________

Diluc

• Already has the whole year planned in his head. Literally if Diluc were to play this game, he'd have a booming farm within year ONE. Calm and collected through and through, though the new environment raises alot of questions, as long as you were still with him, Diluc ain't complaining

• The town welcomes you two with open arms. It was all thanks to the attire. Diluc wore his usual dark coat adorned with regal gold while you had a dress made of Liyue's finest silk, one that he bought for you. Needless to stay both of you reeked the aura of rich aristocrats (Mayor Lewis is pleased that greedy bastard)

• Once the farm was permitted to your owndership, Diluc began to think of ways to turn it into a vineyard. He was a businessman afterall. Although the staff back at the Dawn Winery were the ones who tended the field, Diluc still knew a few things about planting due to his childhood days Master Crepus would bring him out to their yard and demonstrated the process of gardening. He still remembers those days clearly, doing the very same this moment with you.

• Occasionally works at the Saloon bar. It was the perfect opportunity. As you took care of the farm side, Diluc continues to look for more ways to increase the income while gathering information from the folks around town. Gus LOVES to have him over, like he's just so efficient and reliable! They soon become good friends saying if Diluc were ever to own a wine stock, he would gladly buy from him.

• This is why Diluc would stay a little later due to just chatting with the people from the bar. One time you walked into the Saloon only to the front desk with Emily alone. Turns out the others were in the other room, too busy playing a game of pool. You decided to leave him be since it was rare to have Diluc so relaxed in leisure activities. Thus in the end, you spent your time chatting with Emily until a whole hour has passed before your lover notices and apologizes for losing track of time.

• Everything felt like a dream because it was his dream. To live a life undisturbed from chaos, his duties and the dangers that lurk in Teyvat, Diluc grew fond of the domesticity. There was nothing he loved more than to spend his hours by your side, day after day, returning home to your freshly handmade meals.

• Spring: Already up and early planting the parnersnips (I'm very soft for gardener Diluc you see). What do you expect from a workaholic? Even during his leisure time you would often find him near some plant as he does consider this hobby quite therapeutic. But when it rains, Diluc would be standing beside you with an arm around your shoulder, smiling contently as you lean into his touch. He gazes through the dripping window and silently admires the current progress you both made on the farm.

• Between the two annual spring festivities, I would say the flower dance. Diluc is a private man and would prefer to take things where no eyes were on sight. But with a little bit of nudging from Gus (your wingman), he gives in and leads you to the center stage. Elegant. Graceful. The way you two moved together became the talk of the event. Though, Diluc was already used to people staring by now, all he needed to do was to ignore them and keep his focus on you.

• Summer: No blankets in bed. Nope, its bloody hot in Pelican Town. He tends to stay indoors or anywhere with shade, in other words, his work hours in the Saloon increased.

• Diluc always has a nice cold drink prepared for you if by any chance you were to pay a visit after a whole day of labour. It's a habit he's made subconciously as if it would be a natural occurance for you to enter the door. His colleagues would ask him who did he make that drink for? Honestly so cute i cri

• Moments like these remind him of Mondstadt, where he quietly wipes the glasses while listening to you talk. Your voice is soothing. Sun rays peek from the side casting onto the umber tables, reflecting a rich golden light as the radio plays a soft song in the background. It's so peaceful, the town was small hence not many people visited the bar, Diluc came to appreciate this warm privacy (plus no Venti and Kaeya which is a huge pog realization).

• Autumn: Harvest time baby. The kegs are full and the sheds are full of kegs. This season was huge stonks and the house ended up getting an upgrade. Diluc is the type of man who wants to make sure that his spouse wouldn't have to work another day of her life. I reckon this is why he's so ambitious because he wants you to have the best and you deserve the best. (Husband material. Slap a ring on him ladies).

When there was no more work left to do, time would be spend peacefully exploring the woods. While you skipped a few steps ahead as the leaves crunched beneath your feets, Diluc follows slowly from behind. He sees your back but his eyes stares somewhere far beyond whats in front of him: His future. 

It was such a stark contrast to the one he envisioned before. One filled with uncertaintly, blocked by darkness with no silver lining in sight, endlessly wandering as he drags the claymore against the ground. There was never a day in which the Darknight hero wouldn't think of Mondstadt. Leaving the city in the incompetent hands of Ordo Favonious while Abyss Mages continue to lurk fuels him to find a way to return as soon as possible and yet...

"Higher big sis!" Jas tightens her hold on the ropes as you pushed the swing with all your might. She laughs, like a child, it was full of innocence and joy. Later Vincent came in and nugdes you, asking when his turn will come.

"You wanna go too? Alright alright don't worry," waiting for Jas to come down, you lift the boy up so that he was seated safely on the chair, "3..2..1 go!"

He wonders if he could just be a little selfish for once.

• Winter: Best man to have in this season. Every morning Diluc would find himself restricted in movements due to a pair of arms around his waist and legs entangled with yours. Turns out you've been doing it subconciously because he's just so warm (Diluc keeps it lowkey and pretends to sleep longer cuz of it)

~~xx~~

Kaeya

• Haha looks like the portal is gone, guess we'll be stuck forever :)). No kidding Kaeya would be so down to stay here for the rest of his life and the best part is to spend it with you. He doesn't show a shred of concern regarding Teyvat, not like he's easily shaken by events that are abnormal, but you can see that Kaeya is truly and genuinely happy. (You're stunned).

• Oho we also have this marvelous landscape just for the two of us? And a cozy little cabin to go along with it as well? This should be fun~ 

• Of course Kaeya would also know a few things about planting, just the basics since he did grow up with Diluc. When they were kids, Crepus would give each of them their own pots so they can grow their own plants. It eventually became a competitive thing where whoever's plant grows the fastest gets to eat the other person's dessert for a year (no one wins. They end up sabotaging each other which Diluc started first, thinking it'll be funny as a joke).

• You are, and will be going on dates with him. In fact, the amount of dates you two went on increased since then. The townspeople would call you two "lovebirds" since he's practically by your side 24/7. 

• I mean he doesn't have the responsibilities as a Cavalry Captain anymore so what else is there to do?

• Would attend all annual events no matter what season. 

• Evelyn constantly gushes how much of a wonderful pair you and Kaeya make and often is the one who provides Kaeya a fresh bouqet of flowers for him to use as a gift. George on the otherhand just rolled his eyes mumbling something along the lines of "youngsters these days" and "crazy hormones."

• Befriends Pam. Love for beer plus somewhat cynical attitude? They get along real swell! She starts sending some recipes into the mailbox of course saying if yall ever need a hand, let her know.

• Spring: I can see Kaeya be switching back and forth between caring for the farm or taking quests posted on Pierre's bulletin board. He likes to keep things interesting, learning the ways of the new world while also getting to know the people around town.

• Would NOT return Mayor Lewis' shorts in which he found in Marnie's room. It's such high quality blackmail material. Kaeya is currently plotting what is the best way to use it to his advantage.

• He didn't tell you of course.

• Summer: There are no blankets because he is your blanket. Since your cabin was small so was the bed. That's why he has to hold you so that no one falls off when rolling over. Either he hugs you with your nose close to his neck, or your back against his chest while spooning you or holding hands if sleeping on your sides became too much. Yall need a serious house upgrade.

• For some reason Kaeya becomes more energetic in the summer. He lets you rest in the shade while handling the farm work for the time being. If you guys got a pet it would be a cat. Hes the first one to refill their bowl every morning outside.

Another day passes as summer comes to an end, the town’s Mayor invited you and your lover to see the annual Dance Of the Moonlight Jellies. Kaeya being the opportunist was delighted to come along. Locking the door of your house, you follow him down the path and made your way to the beach.

Everyone from town was already gathered by the docks when the sun had disappeared down the horizon. You stood by his side in a space far from the others, watching  the candle boats set off to ride the waves, lighting up a small ray of light for creatures to find. 

“Wow,” your tone almost above a whisper, “If only our friends back home could see this too.”

“Perhaps,” he says. Kaeya slips his fingers into yours and you shot him a curious glance, “But let us enjoy this moment shall we? Just the two of us.”

And there they were. A sea of luminescence radiating colours of brilliant blue with hints of green like a city of laterns floating in a world below. Their image reflects in the star of Kaeya's eyes as he wonders, where would they go? Where would the light lead them? They were so free with nothing to worry, so serene just like the sea and unknowningly, he squeezes your hand. It was a sense for confirmation. One to remind him that this moment was indeed a reality he wishes to keep.

Autumn: Finally a house upgrade and a kitchen!! Because it was harvest season, you guys end up making a set of delicious meals with all the recipes the townspeople gave you. Kaeya can cook since he lived by himself back in Mondstadt. Most of the stuff he learned to make were food that can be accompanied by alcohol though...

• Ahah remember Mayor Lewis' lucky shorts? He found a use for them. It was displayed on the stands during the Stardew Valley Fair (Oh my how did this get here? Must be the wind). Ends up buying a Rarecrow for the farm when Lewis bribes him not to tell this to anyone.

Winter: This was mostly an indoor season for the both of you. With the existence of television, nights would be spent until morning while watching movies at the couch. A blanket drapes around your shoulders as extends to his.  Oh and don't forget the hot chocolate! 

#genshin impact #stardew valley #genshin impact headcanons #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #diluc #diluc ragnvindr #Kaeya #kaeya alberich #genshin x reader #genshin headcanons #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #nya-writes #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines

[chocochipbiscuit]

For the fandom ask meme: Stardew Valley!

The first character I first fell in love with: Penny is an absolute sweetheart and I love how gentle and caring she is. I wish there was an option to help her move out from her mom’s place without marrying her, though I am glad that one of the recent updates helps give them a house instead of a trailer.

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Robin’s so sweet, I love her as the hands-on capable carpenter that she is, also she is very cute and quite frankly I wish she had been a romanceable option! Robin has two hands, I can share!

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Shane! I can appreciate his character arc and the way he slowly opens up about his depression, but he was never a personal favorite the way that I’ve seen the rest of fandom embrace him. He’s nice, I like him, but he was never my first choice for love interest or BFF.

The character I love that everyone else hates: Is there a character that everyone hates, other than the JojoMart guy? I’ll settle for character that I love and think is underappreciated by the broader fandom: Marnie! She is super sweet and caring, including not just her adorable animals but also taking care of Shane and Jas. She deserves much better than Mayor Lewis and his weird secrecy about their relationship!

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Mayor Lewis! When I first started playing the game, the sort of meddlesome but friendly small town mayor vibe felt really sweet (and a nice contrast from the more malevolent oversight of JojoCorp), but the more I play, the more ‘eh’ I feel on him. He has weird conversations about authority and ‘the kids these days’ (like one of his cut scenes with yelling at Sam about skateboarding), his obsession with maintaining his image as the mayor (especially by refusing to be public about his relationship with Marnie, which obviously hurts her!), and the weirdness of his ‘secret project’ being a solid gold statue of himself? In this small town where he collects the taxes regularly (and for WHAT, does he pay Evelyn to tend the town garden? Maintain the roads? Set up the festivals?) and the region is economically struggling, just where does he get the money and why isn’t it being better put into the town?

Honestly, I usually just gently ignore the solid gold statue; it’s an Easter egg and I feel like it’s meant more for laughs rather than anything more sinister, but the rest of it is just. Ick.

The character I would totally smooch: Penny! I adore her.

The character I’d want to be like: Maru! She’s clever, driven, and absolutely gonna change the world with SCIENCE.

The character I’d slap: Lewis!!!

A pairing that I love: Maru/Penny is my favorite ship for this fandom and I think it’s TRAGIC that there’s less than 30 fics for it on AO3!

A pairing that I despise: My first tongue-in-cheek reaction is to say Morris (JojoMart guy) with anyone, because he’s terrible, but I don’t think anyone actually considers that a valid pairing? Otherwise, I’d say Lewis/Marnie for all the reasons I previously mentioned about Marnie deserving better.

Stardew Valley remains my precious bubblebath-brain game, thank you for asking! <3

(From this ask meme!)

#meme things #Stardew Valley #bittylildragon #choco answers

[sdvvillagers]

For all the villagers, cats or dogs?

Just covering the non-marriage villagers in this one, even then I have way too much to say on the subject, apparently.  XD

Caroline - I imagine Caroline growing up in a household full of cats and just adoring them.  She was devastated when she found out that Pierre is severely allergic, yet another contributing factor to their rocky marriage.

Pierre - He’s allergic to cats in canon, but I also don’t headcanon him as a lover of dogs either.  I think that in Pierre’s mind, pets are just problematic and too much work.  I imagine this is why Abigail has a pet guinea pig, it’s the only pet her father would allow her to have since it’s confined to a cage.

Robin - LOVED cats… until she found out that Sebastian was allergic and she had to get rid of her favorite kitty.

Demetrius - Doesn’t honestly have a preference, he prefers a pet-free house.  Less animal hair to contaminate his lab.

Evelyn - As partial as I am to the image of the sweet old lady with a kitty curled up in her lap, I just don’t see that for Evelyn.  I actually picture her as a dog person.  Mostly due to how much she sees Dusty help her grandson, she appreciates what that dog has done for him in his lifetime to provide support and it makes her really have a fondness for dogs.

George - Much as George loves to scowl at animals and gripe about how much work they are, he does have an unspoken fondness for Dusty.  When Evelyn is inside cooking and Alex is away at the beach, he’ll wheel himself near Dusty’s enclosure and talk to him for a bit of company.

Jodi - Jodi is neutral to pets and doesn’t really have a preference to dog or cat… they both require lots of work and care that she knows she’ll end up having to provide.  She doesn’t DISLIKE pets by any means, but it’s hard to add one more responsibility to her life.

Kent - Kent never used to be fond of animals until he returned home from the war.  Upon his return home, he found it hard to connect to people and found himself longing for a connection to someone that could just listen to him without judgement or pity.  He was tired of the pitying looks he received or the kid hands that he was treated with.  Shortly after his return home, Vincent wanted to get a pet dog.  Vincent was bored with it in no time, but Kent actually bonded with it rather quickly.  In no time, that dog was clearly Kent’s dog and not Vincent’s.  He found his mental health improving with this new dog and the walks he takes the dog on are quite therapeutic for him.

Vincent - Oh, Vincent loves dogs!  They’re great!  They’re amazing!  They’re fun!  Until you realize how much work and responsibility they are, then they’re far less fun.  As mentioned above, when Vincent finally does get a dog, it’s a great novelty for about a week, but picking up dog poop and taking the dog out for a walk daily is no fun.  The idea of it is far more entertaining than actually owning one.

Gus - Gus would actually LOVE to have a pet!  He’s more of a dog person, but hey, even a cat would be nice to have around as company.  But being the owner of a saloon that serves food, it’s just not sanitary to keep an animal inside.  Every so often before the saloon opens, he’ll poke his head out to check in on Dusty and even throw him a few bones or scraps of food from the saloon.

Clint - Clint is very lonely in his house all by himself.  Like Gus, he would love to have an animal to keep him company, but he’s afraid of having a small animal in a house with such dangerous equipment.  As much as he would love a dog or cat, it’s too risky in case they were to get too close to his furnace.  I could see Clint going for something like a snake or pet fish or something… something that stays where you leave it.

Marnie - OF COURSE Marnie loves all animals!  I honestly think she wouldn’t have much of a preference between dogs or cats, she’s probably owned both in her lifetime!

Jas - Jas loves spending time with all of Marnie’s animals, but admittedly some of the bigger ones are intimidating to her and even the smaller chickens can be a bit off-putting with such sharp beaks.  Jas longs to have a kitty; the softest, fluffiest one that ever existed.  Well, of course Marnie would never turn down another animal and Uncle Shane can’t resist doing something for Jas when she’s such a good kid, so you know she’s gonna end up with the softest, fluffiest white kitty with bows in her hair named Fifi.

Lewis - Lewis feels that his job as mayor is ‘too important and time consuming’ to even consider owning an animal (notice the sarcastic quotation marks).  However, I feel that after retirement, he would be open to having a pet to keep him company after Marnie inevitably kicks him to the curb, and I definitely see him being a cat person.  He would take his cat everywhere after that, even to community events (despite Harvey’s continued insistence that it’s not wise to bring a cat into a crowd where there are those who have allergies).

Linus - Animals aren’t meant to be ‘owned’, they deserve to be free just like humans.  Linus lives peacefully with the animal life in the mountains, respecting their space and need to hunt/gather just as he too has this need.  He peacefully co-exists with the wildlife around him.

Pam - Pam looooooves cats.  Like, if she had the space for them, she would own so many cats and be one of those crazy cat ladies.  But, not a lot of space to house a bunch of cats in a trailer and not a lot of money to provide for them adequately.  Of course she could probably make it happen regardless, but she has enough sense to know that it wouldn’t be a great living situation for the cats.

Willy - Willy’s a dog lover for sure.  He on-again off-again owns dogs that usually accompany him in his boat when he goes out on the ocean.  Whenever one of his trusted canine friends passes, he takes some time to grieve but within a year or so he’s got his next furry companion.  That’s really all Willy wants/needs out of life is a home by the sea and a canine companion by his side.

#sdv villagers #sdv caroline #sdv pierre #sdv robin #sdv demetrius #sdv evelyn #sdv george #sdv jodi #sdv kent #sdv vincent #sdv gus #sdv clint #sdv marnie #sdv jas #sdv lewis #sdv linus #sdv pam #sdv willy

[dcwdrops]

interrogation one — jillian mercer.

     Well, shit. Jillian had never liked Ismail — in fact, she hated him, and hated Joja. That was no secret to anyone in the Valley. But to have someone die, especially so suddenly: that kind of thing shook a town, and it shook the people in it. She was no exception: she’s a little stunned and a little shaky, and she was going to ignore Mayor Lewis’ pleas for voluntary interviews until her parents pressure her to talk to him. It’d be better if you did, Jilly Bean. You’ll feel better about it. As if she was traumatized by the death of Ismail Haq rather than death in general. As if she’d done anything wrong. 

one. where were you on the night of tuesday, october 6?

Her hands are shaking and her heart is practically beating out of her chest. Breathe, Jillian, breathe. Why is she so freaked out over this? Maybe it’s because she knows the obvious:  there had been no one in town more vocal of their hatred of JojaMart than Jillian Mercer. And she’d been a little ... volatile recently. Especially with Mayor Lewis interviewing her, after her whole spat with Sasha. But this was a freak accident, right? He probably was drunk and fell or something. No one could have hurt him, right? Her voice is quiet when she finally speaks.:  

     “ I was at the saloon. I’m there pretty much every night. I finished off my shift at the store, and then went over there for it to open. I stayed there until closing, when I just went home.  ”

two. can anyone confirm your whereabouts?

Who the fuck was at the saloon? She tries to remember. Really, she tries. But between entry and exit, lines blur. She’d had far too much to drink, which wasn’t exactly unusual. But telling the mayor she didn’t remember would certainly rouse more suspicion. Her tone is weaker still, now, uncertain.

     “ Sure. I mean, probably. Uh, plenty of people were at the saloon. I don’t really remember who else was there specifically. But ... I go there every night. I got served drinks. People saw me. It’s not like I’m standing in the middle of the fucking saloon like hey, everyone, Jillian’s here! Someone must have. Seen me, I mean. Finley was probably there. You can ask them.  ”

three. what was the nature of your relationship with mr. haq?

There it was. Of course. The million dollar question. She can’t even look at Lewis as she answers, still painfully quiet as she stumbles around her response, picking at a hangnail. It hurts, but it’s a better distraction than the thump, thump, thump that’s increasing her heart rate. She has to remind herself to breathe. You didn’t do anything. It was possible no one did anything. But ... she had a bad feeling about this. Suddenly, it spills out, a little louder than she intended: 

     “ I think you know the answer to that. I’m not gonna — I’m not gonna elaborate on how much I hated him, okay? Hating someone isn’t evidence. This is for evidence. Did you know he fucking hit me with his car? Yeah. That about sums up my interactions with him. But that doesn’t mean anything. Like — not to speak ill of the dead or anything, but plenty of people didn’t like that guy. It doesn’t mean I wanted him ... it doesn’t mean he deserved to die. I didn’t do anything. ” 

four. how often did you interact with him?

She feels like kicking herself. What kind of answer was that? Her head is spinning, and she takes a long beat of silence before she answers. It’s truthful, but she worries it might not be enough. She already looks like a mess. 

     “  Not that often. I mean — it’s not like I would have ... gone to Joja Mart. But we were around in the same town and everything. And ... things were stressful between them and the store. We were pretty limited, in how we spoke. You know, other than when he hit me with his fucking car.  ”

You said that already, dumbass.

five. when did you last see him?

Was he in the saloon that night? Was he? She doesn’t remember much, that much is evident from her alibi. She tries to wrack her brain for the last time she’s certain she saw him: of course, it had been when she’d been gloating over the Mercer’s victory over Joja Mart. Not exactly a good look. Her foot taps on the floor.

     “  He was throwing some kind of tantrum in the middle of town over Joja. No, wait. I think — I think he was also at the saloon, that night. Maybe? But I obviously wouldn’t have talked to him. But I’m not sure if he was there for long, or not. I was occupied with trying to have a nice night. Like, I guess — full disclosure, I was kind of drunk. So, I don’t know. Don’t ... quote me on it. Or I guess do. That’s what this is. — Sorry. I’m a little ... rattled.  ”

six. did anything seem out of the ordinary either in town or in your interactions with mr. haq prior to tuesday, october 6?

Ismail. He’d been weird. Of course he’d been weird, given the circumstances. But — what else constituted as out of the ordinary? 

     “  Uh, I mean — yeah? He’s always seemed pretty stone faced and stuffy or formal or whatever, but he was kicking lamp posts and stuff. Maybe he had a breakdown or something and just ... keeled over from stress. Nothing anyone else did, though. No one seemed ... different. Other than him, I mean. ”

seven. do you know anyone else who might have information pertaining to mr. haq’s death?

Finally, she looks at the mayor, putting sweaty palms atop the table instead of nervously playing with them in her lap. She looks a little frazzled, but her tone is genuine as she speaks with real advice. As much as she hated Ismail.... she wanted to help, really. 

     “  I mean — I don’t. As for ... if he was at the saloon, or who was there or whatever, anyone who was drinking water all night and might have better recollection than I do. I don’t know anything. I didn’t ...  ”

... do anything. See anything. Hear anything. Great defense. 

eight. do you have any other insights or information about the case that you wish to share?

She takes a deep breath, hands falling back into her lap for a moment before she stands up, pushing her chair back to leave before she can even answer the next question. Her eyes point at the floor. 

     “  No. No, I don’t. ”

#dewtask008 #hmmmmm #jillian / tasks. #is that a tag?

[96thdayofrage]

Lewis rose to prominence in 2012, when she led the first teachers strike in Chicago in 25 years — a walkout many say inspired a wave of teacher activism and the beginning of the Red for Ed, the national movement in which teachers went on strike to demand better pay and working conditions.

The 2012 Chicago Teachers Strike showed teachers they could take on the powerful and win.

Lewis served as president of the Chicago Teachers Union from 2010 to 2018, when she resigned due to health issues. She was diagnosed with brain cancer several years ago. She was 67 years old. Her death was announced by her former spokeswoman and confirmed by sources close to the CTU.

Lewis was born on July 26, 1953. A proud daughter of Chicago Public School teachers, she went to Kenwood Academy in Hyde Park on the South Side. She left her junior year to go to Mount Holyoke College and then transferred to Dartmouth College. She said she was the only African American woman in Dartmouth’s graduating class of 1974.

Before becoming president of the teachers union, she was a chemistry teacher in Chicago Public Schools for more than 20 years.

Lewis is remembered as being passionate and outspoken, but also highly intelligent, wildly funny and warm, and someone who always recalled details about people’s lives and asked about them.

“She had a boisterous love of life and she made people feel seen,” said Jackson Potter, a friend and one of the founders of Lewis’ union caucus, called CORE. “Though she was childless, she felt like all the babies in the world were her children.”

He said Lewis’ ability to make people laugh helped her be a good leader. It allowed her to bridge divides and gave people a way to relate to her.

Potter said Lewis’ humor and warmth also allowed her to get away with espousing what were considered radical ideas at the time.

She attacked the rich and the powerful, who she saw as trying to insert themselves into public education through charter schools and other corporate-inspired education reforms. At a rally in Union Park in October 2012, Lewis held up a blank sheet of paper. She said it listed the qualifications of the people making education policy.

“What’s on it?” she asked. “Nothing, nothing, nothing.” The crowd that packed the park then started chanting, “nothing, nothing, nothing.”

She went on to make the argument that teachers want to be collaborative, but once competition is introduced, it takes away the desire to work together for the common good of children. She also saw the introduction of market approaches into public education as devaluing the work of teachers and siphoning money away from regular public schools, a process she said hurt children.

“I don’t care what they say, ‘We will not harm our children’” she said. “You are asking us to do harm to children. I don’t think people understand that.”

Lewis also moved the union away from bread and butter issues, like pay and benefits, to broader issues of social justice. Under her tenure, the union put forth a manifesto called The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve that laid bare the wide distance between what CPS said it should provide students and what it does.

The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve called for teachers to be treated as professionals, for fully staffed schools with nurses and social workers and for lower class sizes.

“We needed someone to swing” Lewis’ message resonated because she was willing to stand up for teachers at a time when teachers were under attack and somewhat downtrodden. She unapologetically labeled people as villains and enemies if she thought they disrespected public school teachers and public education.

Chief among them was former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Early on in her tenure as union president, she emerged from a meeting with Emanuel and revealed he had sworn at her. This came after she called the longer school day he was pushing a “babysitting” initiative.

“He jumped out of his chair and said, F-you Lewis,” she recalled. “And I jumped out of my chair and said, who the F do you think you are talking to? I don’t work for you.”

Lewis said she went on to use “infinitely more colorful South Side language,” as did the mayor.

Nora Flanagan, who taught with Lewis at Lane Tech High School on the North Side, said she thinks teachers were inspired by that moment.

“That was when Karen made it clear that this was going to be a fight and we all were like, ‘Okay, let’s do this,’ and we took off our earrings and had someone hold our shoes and got ready for a big fight with a new, very powerful mayor,” Flanagan said. “We needed someone to swing, to make it obvious this might get ugly, but she was ready and we should be ready too.”

Lewis was known for throwing verbal bombs. She called Emanuel the “murder mayor” when the union was on the front lines in the fight against the historic closing of 50 schools in 2013.

“Look at the murder rate in this city. He’s murdering schools. He’s murdering jobs. He’s murdering housing. I don’t know what else to call him. He’s the murder mayor,” she said during the school closing fight.

And she once told a group of community and business leaders that then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, who for years held up the passage of a state budget until his agenda was approved, was a new “ISIS recruit … because the things he’s doing look like acts of terror on poor and working-class people,” she said.

Potter said it took courage for Lewis to speak that way and it was a risk. He said even some members of the union would tell him that “Karen was too much.” He saw that as a euphemism for her being “too black.”

Potter said, though she didn’t like it, she would often have Potter or one of the other white officers go to member meetings in the white strongholds on the far Northwest and Southwest sides.

“In some ways, Karen was a consummate diplomat because she could span all these different environments, but in other ways she was the most smash-mouthed person I have ever known because she would not be afraid to say it like it was,” he said.

James Franczek, the chief labor attorney for the school district, said Lewis used rhetoric that people were not used to and that made some uncomfortable.

“My first impression was, ‘Wow, this woman is sort of off the rails,’” he said. “Karen has many positive traits but subtlety is not one of them.”

While Franczek said he disagreed with Lewis on most issues, he said he wound up liking her personally. In the years after the arduous 2012 negotiations, he would have dinner or coffee with her and they would talk about some of the things she loved — opera, classical music and what books she was reading.

“She disagrees with you on almost everything, but she does it with a sense of humor that makes those disagreements enjoyable,” Franczek said.

Franczek called Lewis a “force of nature” and someone who is so “unique he doesn’t think there will ever be another leader like her.”

Her intelligence and wit earned the respect of even her staunchest adversaries. When she retired, Mayor Emanuel sent her matzah ball soup, a traditional Jewish food. Emanuel called her a friend and said he respected her advocacy for the children of Chicago.

“A fearless truth teller” Current Chicago Teacher Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey, like Potter, was part of the group of young, upstart high school teachers who founded the CORE union caucus to take on the union leadership they ultimately replaced. They criticized former leaders for letting the school district increase privatization without a fight and for being unwilling to take on the broader social justice issues in public education.

Sharkey said he relished watching Lewis become “like a folk icon in the city.”

“Her ability to speak to the mass media and working-class people in the city really caught hold of the imagination of people broadly in Chicago,” he said. “It was amazing to see unfold.”

But he said it would be wrong to make Lewis out to be a cuddly figure who was friends with Emanuel. As with many black leaders, he said the tendency is to try to remove their sharp edge.

“This is the person who called Rahm Emanuel the murder mayor and was willing to take on the powerful and the establishment,” Sharkey said. “She has been a voice for black workers, she has been a voice for the underdog.”

Sharkey said Lewis was a “fearless truth teller” who was a “lightning rod of criticism.”

“She bore it with incredible grace and a tremendous amount of patience and really helped to give people confidence to create a movement,” he said.

Stacy Davis Gates, the current union vice president, said on the day the Chicago Board of Education voted to close 50 schools, Lewis declared she was going to shift the political landscape of the city. Lewis was gearing up to run for mayor against Emanuel when she was diagnosed with brain cancer.

While Lewis didn’t get to challenge Emanuel, her vision played out, said Davis Gates. For one, Emanuel is no longer mayor, having decided not to run for a third term in 2019.

And in 2019, Sharkey and Davis Gates led the teachers out on an 11-day strike, demanding many of the supports and resources called for in that 2012 document, The Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve.

The contract they negotiated includes commitments for hundreds more nurses and social workers, as well as class size caps, for the first time.

Davis Gates said it was Lewis that gave union leaders and teachers in Chicago the conviction to take on the fight.

“You see all of the threads and the fruits of her labor manifesting in a way where you don’t have just the one, you have the mightier, you have the more stable, you have a chorus of voices shaking their hand and demanding the justice she embodied as the leader of this union,” she said.

Sharkey also gave Lewis a powerful nod on the eve of the October 2019 strike. As he stood before throngs of members in their red shirts, Sharkey declared, “This is the house that Karen built.”

[awastelandheart]

coming out

          in a small town, information   &   differing experiences are hard to come by, so if you end up not fitting in with the norm, it’s exponentially worse   &   that much more lonely. 

          growing up   &   sharing a room with Maru, Sebastian realized that his feelings pertaining to his gender were quite different early on. changing in the same room as children with only a handful of years between them, he snuck glances with a sense of shock that Maru seemed comfortable in her skin. from what he saw, she did not spend hours in front of the mirror, subtly pulling on her undershirt in an attempt to lessen her chest. he never saw her fixating over how square her shoulders could be held. one tank-top in the summer was enough for her   &   as puberty neared, she seemed to embrace the curves of her hips with complimentary jeans instead of cringing away from the idea of womanhood.

          there was no attainable language to enunciate these feelings, however;   no definitive reason that Sebastian could see, at least, why he felt no attachment to things like bras   &   or the hair his mother shamed him in confusion for cutting so short. 

          the computer in Demetrius’ study yielded few responses. in such a public setting as the family browser, even with his knowledge of cookies clearing   &   history erasing, Sebastian could not bring himself to search for specific strings of words that’d make everything clear. a very big part of him did not want to find the answers. the world around him grew darker, lonelier with each passing day due to the intense neglect he felt stemming from Robin’s quick remarriage  --   this, too,   ( whatever this feeling was that made Maru’s relation to her body something of envy   &   disgust for him )   estranged him further from a family that seemed to lack space for his existence.

          Sebastian was 16 when Maru’s casual reference to feminine things such as their shared box of tampons   &   similar sized bras finally made him snap. with anger   &   frustration he demanded a space of his own. i don’t want to share a room with Maru anymore !   --   oh, stop being dramatic, she’s your sister   &   you’re both girls around the same age. don’t make Demetrius turn his lab into a bedroom.

          i’m not a girl, i -- don’t want to be around a girl all the time anymore.

          but you’re a girl too, what’s the big deal ?

          i don’t want to be !

          no one really seemed to know how exactly to handle that proclamation. it had hung in the air uncomfortably until Sebastian raced out of the house. it was a combination of speaking with the town doctor   &   finally getting courage enough to seek information on his own that shed light on the situation. a vocabulary to enunciate his feelings was slowly attained. in the process, Sebastian became less shunned from the family   &   more independent in his own right. he was something different from them   &   while shame was what he had felt at first, understanding brought a sense of peace   --   perhaps not pride, but at least a lack of self hatred.

          the basement was converted into his new bedroom, which took less than a handful of weeks with his mother being a carpenter. despite Sebastian’s new understanding of himself, it brought no reconciliation into his family role. Maru was still disingenuous in his eyes. Demetrius was still a man stepping on territory that wasn’t his. His mother was still a flawed woman who deserved better than her impulses implied. Sebastian was very much a black sheep still;   the almost forgotten child of his mother’s first marriage, something incongruent with his own body   &   identity, something doomed to be perpetually misunderstood. any attempts made by his family to make Sebastian feel more included were lost on him in his perceived status as the outcast. 

          he became of-age in the basement, grew his hobbies   &   chose a career in the quiet shadows down there. Sebastian turned himself into the man he wanted to be, far away from his familial influence.

          at 17 he acquired his first binder. by 18 he had scheduled an appointment with doctor harvey by himself to talk about medication options. on his 20th birthday he finally had to buy himself a facial razor with a sense of victory. 21, 22,   &   23 passed with slower results but eventually even mayor lewis seemed to forget there was a time Sebastian had presented any other way. it was a process, having to come out in certain ways with tact to the villagers his mother had introduced him by dead-name in infancy to   --   the re-introductory process was either handled on a person to person basis, like his awkward conversation with sam that connected many pieces of their childhood, or ultimately ignored in hopes that people like marnie   &   pam would simply catch on.

          by 25 in canon, he passes very well   &   is comfortable in his presentation. surgeries seem to be a pipe dream   &   something almost scary to think about, but the hope it brings that with them he’ll feel happy finally is something that contributes to his dream of leaving the valley, hopefully soon.

#dysphoria / #🐸 did i even make a sound? it’s like i never made a sound ― about. #someone give me a sam to write with already

[gabrieloi-blog1]

It not a big city like Atlanta

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[lilacmoon83]

A Darker Curse

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 21: Fallout

The stares and whispers this morning in the bank, his bank, had been bad enough. So bad that he had sequestered himself in his office, but nothing could get him to concentrate on work. He had been all prepared for the mid-morning board meeting, but had received an e-mail from one of the leading board members that they were postponing the meeting until further notice. It was unsettling, to say the least and all because of a scathing article in the Storybrooke Mirror this morning.

Lewis Dior was not at all accustomed to being the subject of such scandal. He was a very rich man and had always had the means to buy discretion when it came to his business deals. But the tides, in a town where he owned all the leases that Mr. Gold didn't, had just turned. His money had failed to protect him this time and his daughter.

Kathryn hadn't even bothered to come to work yet, but he wasn't surprised. The article shredded her as well. So badly that he would be surprised if she dared to show her face anywhere. If he wasn't the only bank in town, he might have been worried about losing business, but fortunately, there were no other choices in this small town, with the exception of Mr. Gold and no one usually made a deal with him unless they were desperate. Still...the damage to his reputation was already considerable and he had no idea what consequences might be coming at him. And strangely, he had no idea how to handle any of it.

Under the Mayor-ship of Cora Mills, he had never even had to entertain the possibility that something like this could happen. He never thought the possibility that she could lose her office was even on the table. He had never worried about anything at all and had always enjoyed a life that only a pure elitist knew. But one article and Cora's ousting had brought it all crashing down. Needless to say, he was at a loss. He crumbled his copy of the Storybrooke Mirror up and threw it in the trash, as he stalked out of his cushy corner office that he enjoyed as CEO.

The stares from customers were unnerving to say the least and even his employees couldn't help themselves. The words in the article had effectively torn him to smithereens and he stormed out, as he made the short walk to the Court House.

The looks were worse there. These had even more disgust in them and some were even smug, like they were enjoying his fall from grace. He couldn't believe people were actually rooting for his low class, disgraceful soon to be ex-son-in-law.

"Have you seen this trash?" he hissed, as he walked into Albert Spencer's office.

"Of course I've seen it," Spencer spat irritably. Obviously he had been experiencing a morning much like his own.

"Cora would have never allowed this to see the light of day," he complained.

"You're right...which is why it's a very good thing that my Mother is no longer the Mayor," Regina said, as she now stood in the doorway with a smug smirk.

"I see you've come to gloat too, Ms. Mills," Albert spat.

"Mayor Mills...you better get used to it," she warned.

"Or what? Not even the Mayor has the authority to fire a district attorney," Spencer challenged. Regina smirked.

"You're right, but if you go to jail on human trafficking charges...I won't really need to fire you, now will I?" she cooed in response. The color drained from his face.

"You...you can't seriously be thinking of pursuing charges against us. David is an adult...he could have refused the marriage," Albert claimed.

"You could make that argument, but money exchanged hands when he married Kathryn. Trust me, a jury isn't going to see it your way. But there may be a way you can avoid prison," she replied.

"And that is?" Lewis asked with interest.

"Flip on my mother. I know you must have incriminating evidence on her dealings during her time in office. She's the one I really want to see behind bars, so if you give up the goods on her, I'm sure I can convince the Sheriff to cut a deal with you if it means he gets a bigger fish to lock away," Regina replied.

"Betraying your own mother?" Lewis asked in horror.

"She was never much of a mother," Regina retorted.

"No deal...Cora still has more power than you know. Betraying her would be suicide," Albert refuted. But Lewis looked uncertain.

"Lewis...don't do this," he warned. Regina smirked.

"Think about it. I'm a reasonable person and I'll give you a day. If you don't, I'll be sending the Sheriff your way with arrest warrants," she replied, as she walked out with a smile. That was fun. Her only regret was not bringing Snow and David with her so they could enjoy it. She decided she'd head to the diner though to tell them all about it.

~*~

Graham flipped through some of the paperwork and finished a few reports. Patrol had been quiet this morning and was allowing him to get a bit caught up. Emma would be in soon and he would let her take the afternoon patrol. As he started on the backlog of filing, three people walked into the station and he didn't recognize any of them.

"Can I help you?" Graham asked.

"Are you the Sheriff in this town?" the man asked.

"I am," Graham answered, watching as the man flashed his badge.

"I'm Detective Michael Bishop from the Portland, Oregon police department," he said introducing himself. Graham looked surprised.

"Oregon...that's a long way to come. It must be for a good reason," he said.

"It is...I'm not sure if you're aware, but you have at least one fugitive in your midst, possibly two," he replied. Graham approached him and opened the first file, as the detective handed it to him.

"Oh...Neal Cassidy, he's new in town and the son of the local pawn shop owner," Graham said, as he opened the second file and his eyes widened.

"No…" he uttered.

"No...you must be mistaken about Emma. There is no way she is involved in anything nefarious," Graham refuted.

"So sure?" the woman asked.

"And you are?" Graham asked in return.

"Detective Tia Bellum. It's well known that Emma Swan and Neal Cassidy were involved. Word has it that they even have a kid together," she replied.

"That doesn't mean that Emma helped Neal in any larceny," Graham argued.

"You seem close to this Emma Swan," she observed.

"She's my deputy, so I know she's not involved in this," he admitted.

"Be that as it may, we can't take your word for it. We need to arrest Neal Cassidy for sure and at least bring Emma in for questioning," Michael said.

"Did they really send three detectives here for two possible fugitives?" Graham questioned.

"Oh, I'm not a detective. I'm Greg Mendell and I work for the District Attorney's office in Portland. I'm here to handle the legalities of extraditing Neal Cassidy and possibly Emma Swan back to Portland," Greg clarified.

"It's in your best interest if you just take us to them if you know where they are," Michael added. Graham sighed.

"Yeah...I know where they are, but this is my town, so you'll follow my lead," he said sternly.

"Lead the way," Michael agreed.

~*~

As they entered the diner, hand in hand, all eyes were on them. It wasn't terribly unusual, as they had been attracting a lot of attention. To David, without his memories, it had been a bit unnerving. These were the same people that had always been too afraid to lift a hand to help him when he was being abused by Kathryn, but now they were taking an interest in his life? He had scoffed at that. Now with his memories returned, he knew that it wasn't truly at their fault. He knew if Granny hadn't been cursed, then she would have been in his corner. Same with Ruby and many others.

Now seeing the looks and interest in them with his memories was just funny and he felt like riling a few people up.

"Wanna make a bet?" he whispered to her.

"Depends on the stakes," she retorted.

"If I kiss you right now, I bet we get no less than three gasps, some hushed whispers and maybe even some furious texting," he joked.

"Behave…" she teased.

"Oh come on, you know how much fun it is when we wager and how much fun it is for the winner and loser for that matter," he replied. She eyed him with a sultry look, which she was sure was getting plenty of buzz from the nosy patrons in the diner.

"Baby...if you want to tie me up in bed, all you have to do is say so. I have some scarves we can use or we could always swipe a pair of handcuffs," she whispered to him, before winking and going to join their family. He grinned at her and then slid into the booth beside her, kissing her soundly. There was hushed chattering at that.

"I'm going to take you up on that," he whispered. She gave him a naughty smirk.

"You better," she agreed, as Ruby took their orders, before they turned their attention to Emma, August, Neal, and little David, who was eating tiny pieces of pancake that Emma had torn up for him and placed on his tray.

Emma had finished her pancakes and bacon, as well as fries they were all sharing and Ruby deposited another basket on the table.

"Fries for breakfast?" Snow chided them.

"I prefer to call them breakfast potatoes. They aren't fries until eleven," Emma reasoned. Snow rolled her eyes.

"No question where she got her sense of humor," she said, as she looked at her husband, who was eating fries too.

"She has a point...they are potatoes and it is still breakfast," he agreed. She pretended to roll her eyes, but her insides were melting, for they grinned at each other, same smile and thick as thieves. It was everything she had always wanted and she was screaming for joy on the inside that they finally had each other.

"Well, I don't know if I'm enjoying all the looks or scrutiny, but your article certainly made waves, honey," Snow mentioned.

"Enjoy it, Mom...some people deserve to be knocked down," August replied. David nodded in agreement.

"I agree and maybe we poked the bear, so to speak, but we know Cora. She is going to retaliate, even if we did nothing," David said.

"Dad's right...she's been trying to destroy us the moment we walked into town and the situations she forced the two of you into...all of us really...we can't let her get away with any of it," Emma said.

"Emma's right...I know revenge has never been your way, but if anyone deserves it, it's you and Mom," August added.

"Plus...everyone else deserves to be freed. I mean...I don't know Abigail, but she doesn't seem to be herself exactly," Emma mentioned. David shook his head.

"She wasn't like this...not even close. She even helped me escape George when I called off our wedding and encouraged me to find your mother, even when I thought she didn't feel the same," David said, as he looked at his wife and Snow squeezed his hand.

"She'll be horrified by what Cora has cursed her to be," he added. Snow put her head on his shoulder.

"Maybe now that the curse is unraveling, she'll start to come to her senses. I mean...you did say that she seemed more confused than angry the last time you talked to her," Snow said, as the diner door opened and Kathryn walked in, before slamming the door closed.

"Yeah...something tells me that dying fire in her just got stoked again," David replied, as the blonde stormed glared over at their table. The look on her face was one that would have made his cursed self cringe and he could still feel the fear that she used to cause in him. He hated it, but she had done some terrible things to him, even if it wasn't really her fault. She was just a vessel that Cora had been driving. She was the true abuser, but it was still hard for him to look at her, especially when she was in a full blown rage like this. She stormed towards their table and Emma plucked her son out of the highchair.

Kathryn slapped the papers down on the table.

"Did you sign them?" David asked and she gave him a furious glare.

"No, I didn't sign them and I'm not going to!" she screamed and all eyes were on them. He sighed.

"Kathryn...this is getting pathetic. Just sign the damn papers so we can both move on," he said.

"Oh, but you already have!" she shouted, as she gestured to Mary Margaret.

"You've walked out on your marriage and you're sleeping with a woman that has a son your age, but you want to talk to me about pathetic!" she snarled.

"This is between you and me. Leave Mary Margaret and her kids out of it," he said sternly.

"She's the reason for all of this!" Kathryn said, as her rage turned to the raven haired beauty that had stolen what was hers.

"Everything was fine, until you came into this town and wrecked our lives, you evil tramp!" the blonde ranted. Emma and August were ready to jump in to defend their mother, but they wouldn't have to, as David practically flew out of his seat.

"Fine?" he growled.

"FINE?" he roared.

"Nothing about our marriage was ever fine or good for that matter!" he shouted, as the entire diner was eating up the scene.

"Oh yes, poor abused David! I've heard it before. You told your entire sob story to Dr. Hopper and anyone that would listen lately," she hissed.

"Well, sign the papers and you'll never have to hear my story or from me for that matter ever again," David said in exasperation. She yelled in rage and it was truly scary, as little David started to whimper and they all stared in shock, as she kicked the highchair away. It tumbled to the floor and broke to pieces.

"Dammit David...you need to listen very carefully. I'll speak slowly so you can comprehend what I'm saying in your tiny brain," she said.

"David is not stupid and you need to leave him alone...now," Mary Margaret growled, as she stood up. She knew that Kathryn was cursed, but there was only so much she'd allow her husband to take from this woman without stepping in to defend him.

"You...you're the reason for all of this!" she cried, as she held her head like she was in agony.

"You and your bastard son! Do you know how humiliated my poor father is?!" she raved.

"Your poor father?" August asked, looking at her like she had grown four heads.

"You mean the guy that could probably fill a swimming pool five times over with money and swim in it?" he asked incredulously.

"Your father is an entitled, disgusting person that thinks he can just buy whatever he wants. Even people. Whatever humiliation he's getting is well deserved," August said coldly. Kathryn glowered at him and ripped the divorce papers to shreds.

"The only way you're getting a divorce is over my dead body," she spat, before storming out and nearly running over their newly minted Mayor. Regina watched her go and then looked at the floor.

"That's a lot of rage…" Regina said, as she saw the shredded paper.

"We're trying to remember that it's not all her, but she's making it difficult," Snow said, as her step-sister sat down.

"I hope you have another copy of those," Regina said to David. He shrugged.

"Gold says he has as many as we need, but at this rate, I'm thinking we really will have to have a Judge force her to sign," he replied.

"Or we could just break the curse already," she muttered.

"And I'd love to...but no one seems to know how, except that I'm supposed to do it," Emma said.

"And you will, honey...we don't mean to pressure you," Snow soothed. She nodded.

"I know...I'm just anxious to do it too," Emma replied.

"You will...you're strong and amazing, just like your mother," David told her, bringing a smile to her face.

The diner bell rang and Graham entered with three people trailing behind him.

"Hey...you're white as a sheet. Is everything okay?" Emma asked.

"I'm afraid not," he replied, as his eyes went to the people with him.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I have to arrest Neal...and ask you some questions," Graham replied. Neal sighed.

"Where are they from? Portland or Phoenix?" Neal asked.

"Portland P.D., Mr. Cassidy and you're under arrest," Detective Bishop announced. Graham turned to him.

"This is still my jurisdiction, so this is mine to do," he argued.

"And if you don't cooperate with the extradition, your department is going to be in a lot of trouble," Greg chimed in.

"Who are you people?" Snow snapped, as she stood up and David held her trembling hands.

"And you are?" Tia asked.

"I am Emma's mother," Snow answered.

"Mr. Cassidy is a wanted man and we got a tip that he was here in this town," Michael said.

"A tip? I just bet you did," David muttered in disgust.

"And your daughter is going to have to answer some questions. We have reason to believe that she was privy to some of Neal Cassidy's crimes," Tia said.

"She wasn't…" Snow hissed.

"Then you should have nothing to fear in our questioning," he replied, as Graham cuffed Neal and Emma looked at her mother.

"I've got him," Snow said, as she took her grandson from her.

"My papa...he's going to flip out," Neal said, but David put his hand up.

"We'll get him and be right there," he assured.

"Don't say anything until we get there," Snow called, as they were led out of the diner. The whole place was abuzz now, earlier with the confrontation between David and Kathryn, and now this.

"I thought Storybrooke was hard to find?" David questioned.

"It is...there's no way they got here without help," August replied.

"This has my mother written all over it," Regina growled.

"And I'm going to kill her," Snow said, as she stormed out and they hurried after her.

~*~

Cora smirked deviously, as she hung up her phone. Sidney confirmed that Neal Cassidy was just arrested.

"It seems my plan is in motion," she said, as she got up with the intention of leaving to go to the station. These were fireworks that she didn't want to miss, just as Kathryn stormed in.

"Let me guess...David continued to refuse you?" she questioned.

"He did and he has the audacity to sit there and kiss that woman in front of the whole town! He has humiliated me for the last time!" she growled. Cora smirked.

"I may have something that will lift your spirits," she said.

"I doubt anything could do that right now," Kathryn lamented.

"Even seeing Mary Margaret Swan lose her precious daughter?" Cora questioned. The blonde looked at her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"It would appear that Emma's baby daddy has had some trouble in the past. He's a wanted man and I called in a little tip. Now there are some people here to take him back to Oregon to prosecute him for his crimes," Cora explained.

"What does that have to do with Emma?" Kathryn asked.

"Oh I'm quite certain that Emma Swan was privy to her ex-boyfriend's misdeeds, which means there is a very high chance that she is going to be extradited to Oregon as well, even if they end up not charging her. She'll have to leave Storybrooke to clear her name before the court and if I haven't lost my touch, I'm going to do my best to convince the detectives that she deserves to face the same charges as Neal Cassidy," Cora replied. Kathryn smirked.

"This is happening now?" she asked. The former Mayor nodded.

"Yes and if we don't hurry, we might miss the moment when Mary Margaret Swan has her precious baby girl ripped away from her," Cora replied. Kathryn smirked.

"I'll drive...because I'm not missing this or the opportunity to rub salt in her wounds, while I figure out how to make David pay," Kathryn said.

"Don't worry dear...I can assure you that hurting his precious Mary Margaret and her daughter will hurt him far more than you can imagine...perhaps even more than anything we can do to him directly," Cora asserted.

"Then I can't wait to witness you twist the knife in that little tramp and revel in her misery," Kathryn said, as she followed the other woman out. Revenge would still be hers and they would rue the day they decided to cross her...

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #Emma Swan #August W. Booth #Neal Cassidy #Swanfire #Rumplestiltskin #Regina Mills #evil Cora #AU #CORA cast the curse #warning #mentions of abuse #nothing graphic #romance #adventure #family #a darker curse

[storms-wants-time-travel]

ShanexFarmer Stardew Fanfic

She knew from the moment she married Shane she was never truly in love with him. Not properly. Not in the way she should have been. It had a few years, since she decided to propose to him, but everyday she wondered what if. What would have happened if they had stayed just friends, if she married someone else. Well now she had the oppurtunity to break things off. She knew Shane wasn't a bad man or a bad husband. She couldn't even deny that he was a bad father to their two children. She just couldn't keep lying to him. She just didnt love him in the way he needed. So on the 19th of summer she filed for divorce.

That night after returning from Mayor Lewis' house, her heart ached. She knew this would hurt Shane, and she hated the idea of it. He wouldn't know until the morning that they're marriage was over. The farmer stood in the kitchen preparing dinner. When Shane walked in she could not help but feel the tears escape her eyes. "Hi honey, how was the saloon tonight" she said wiping a stray tear away. She hoped he couldn't tell how much her heart ached.

"It was fine. Everyone was asking where you were tonight. Well, except for Lewis, he was wierdly quiet. He kept looking at me wierd. Maybe him and Marnie are finally going public with their secret affair." Shane said walking over to the farmer. His hands found her waist and smiled as he rested his head on her shoulder. He stared at her hands as she chopped onions. "How was your day?"

She offered a weak smile as she felt his warm embrace. She knew he couldn't see her face but she tried to pull her strength as she answered," It was good, I did some foraging, and picked up some more sunflower seeds. The kids were quiet."

"Sounds like a wonderful day." He said still leaning on his wife. He loved her. He never thought he would have such a wonderful life, let alone a house full of kids and a loving wife. He was truly happy at that moment.

The farmer nodded as a tear hit the counter. She tried to blink the tears out of her eyes.

"Sweetheart, are you okay. You're crying," He stated simply.

The farmer nodded. "I'm fine..it's just the blasted onions for the soup." She tried to laugh it off.

"Oh, well why dont you put the onions away. I ate the bar, and the kids are in bed. Why don't you come to bed with me?" He asked her. His voice enticing as he shifted her hair from her neck.

"Mmm.. alright. But no funny business," She teased gently as she felt his lips on her neck. She wanted him to be happy. At least for tonight.

Hours later they laid in bed, the farmer staring at shane's sleeping face. "Yoba, you deserve so much better than me. Than this." She said thinking about tomorrow morning. Knowing that he would walk up to Lewis at the door explaining what had happened. She knew she would eventually see him again. She sighed as she knew that no matter what this would be painful. So she instead of dwelling on it she cried herself quietly to sleep.

In the morning the farmer woke up with a start. Her bed was empty. The house was dark, and any sign that Shane had ever lived there was gone. When she walked up stairs however she saw the two familiar faces and offered a small smile to the two toddlers. The little girl had her father's eyes while the little boy had the same dark hair. The older of the two looked up at her and asked,"Mama, where's papa?"

The farmer fell speechless and made up an excuse that he had gone to help Marnie. She didnt specify how long he'd be gone for, but the more questions they asked the more her heart ached. Eventually when the two had settled down the farmer was able to start on her daily tasks. Luckily those tasks kept her preoccupied from thinking too much about Shane.

Hours later the farmer set off into town. She had to deliver some coconuts to Gus. However due to not checking the time when she walked in there sat Shane. His hands clasping a full thing of beer. His eyes glazed over but face puffy from the tears he had cried earlier. The farmer couldn't bare to look at him, every time she did she felt like she was choking on her own guilt. However she wanted to explain to him. Make it hurt less, make him understand why she had to divorce him. So she approached him, slowly, cautiously, much like a frightened animal. "Shane...can we talk for a moment?" She asked gently.

Shane started at her like she had three heads as he processed her question. "Don't you think you've done enough? Just leave me alone..." He finally said looking down at his beer again. His words stung her, but his silence burned. She just nodded and with her head lowered walked away from the bar. He didnt deserve a bullshitted excuse, but she wished things could return to the they used to be, before they dated. When things were good.

All of that night she thought about how nothing could be the same, but her dreams reminded her of that small witches shack. She had heard the wizard talk about her dark magic, turning children into doves and erasing memories. Maybe just maybe she could make Shane forget about her, and the pain she had caused him.She slept restlessly as her mind considered her option of erasing the memories. By daybreak the farmer had made her decision.

She set off before the children awoke and grabbed two prismatoc shards from a forgotten chest, and headed off to the witches shack in the far away swamp. The farmer considered not doing any of it as she stood before the shrines. However, she knew she couldn't live with herself knowing that Shane hated her. She knew this had all started, because she was selfish, and she supposed it would end that way. She sat the shard in the alter and watched as it burnt away the memories of her ex husband. However before she stood she turned to the other shrine and began to cry as she set the other shard down. And before her eyes a flash of smoke appeared and two doves flew away.

That night when the farmer returned to the farm, she noticed the coldness within its walls, how lonely it was. She walked into the nursery half way expecting to find her two children but only finding cold and empty beds. Before she knew it she was on her knees. Sobbing. Praying to Yoba that all of this pain was worth a happier end.

#stardew valley #stardew farmer #stardew shane #fanfiction #shanexfarmer #stardew fanfiction #whoops #sorry #sad #divorce #doves #i divorced shane in my game today and legitamettley cried #sebastion better be worth it

[thefilmsnob]

Glen Coco’s Top 10 Films of 2020

This has been the weirdest damn year for film--and basically everything else--we’ve ever witnessed. Theatres closed, re-opened, then closed again; dozens of films were postponed, and no one knew where to watch the ones that weren’t. I didn’t see nearly as many films as I usually do and, even so, the selection was relatively underwhelming. Nevertheless, there were still some good pictures released, so, as always, I’m sharing my top ten films of 2020 plus a bonus track...there’s always a bonus track.

#10b. (Bonus Track) Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Director: Jason Woliner

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova

On the surface, Sacha Baron Cohen’s characters may seem utterly absurd and childish--and maybe they are--but, the genius behind them is their ability to reveal the ignorance of the people he encounters and make you question where the true absurdity lies. Cohen accomplishes this yet again, even if this sequel isn’t quite as fresh as its 2006 predecessor. Yet, in the United States of 2020, ravaged as much by asinine politicians, disgraceful racism and dangerous conspiracy theories as by the actual Covid pandemic, Borat is an entirely welcome presence. He makes all the right people look as wrong as they should, especially former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani who’s caught red-handed in a compromising position opposite a very young girl, thus exacerbating his epic fall from grace while reaffirming Cohen’s brilliance.

#10. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Director: George C. Wolfe

Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman

Despite my initial ambivalence, this movie has lingered in my mind for months and that’s always a good sign. Set almost entirely in one location, a 1920s Chicago recording studio, and focusing heavily on a group of musicians shooting the breeze in its basement while their demanding singer talks business with the big wigs upstairs, seemingly nothing much happens and, yet, everything happens; dreams are envisioned, pain is recalled, ideas are shared and, of course, music is made. Those elements are enhanced by the film’s stellar technical features from the production design, to the costumes to the hair & makeup. Yet, it’s the performers who steal the show, which is expected from Viola Davis but a pleasant surprise from Chadwick Boseman who, sadly, gives his final performance. The late actor saved his best for last playing a young trumpeter whose ambitions are constantly hindered by his inability to let go of his tragic past.

#9. The Way Back

Director: Gavin O’Connor

Starring: Ben Affleck

For those of you with the misconception that Ben Affleck is a bad actor, you might want to watch The Way Back in which he plays a former high school basketball star and current alcoholic who’s dealing with the death of his child and separation from his wife when he’s asked to coach his former team. Sure, this covers familiar ground, but it does so better than similar films, finessing the more predictable aspects, adding some welcome touches and treating the subject matter with the respect and seriousness it deserves. The basketball takes a backseat to the character drama here, so the film’s quality relies heavily on the performance of Affleck which might be his best to date; he makes his character’s inebriation so convincing you can practically smell the beer on his breath. And you hope to God he gets the help he so desperately needs.

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/613090953214001152/the-way-back-12-out-of-5

#8. News of the World

Director: Paul Greengrass

Starring: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel

This is a film we need right now for several reasons, not least of which being we get to spend two hours with ‘America’s Dad’ Tom Hanks, a decent, honourable man playing another decent, honourable man in 1870 who encounters a strange young girl on the road near an overturned wagon and promises to return her to her remaining family. With Hanks’s character Jefferson Kidd traveling from town to town reading the newspaper for its citizens, this is also a timely film, stressing the importance of a free and fair press as opposed to the propaganda that saturated the Trump administration and his favourite news outlet. An unusually--yet refreshingly--straightforward and old-fashioned Western for 2020, its highlights include a climactic exchange between adult and child, made so effectively tender with such minimal effort by Hanks, as well as a meticulously crafted chase and shootout sequence at the halfway point, directed with optimal tension and clarity by the great Paul Greengrass.

#7. Nomadland

Director: Chloe Zhao

Starring: Frances McDormand

It’s about time we start including Frances McDormand in lists of greatest actors. In Nomadland, in which she plays a wanderer of sorts who’s lost her husband to cancer and her company town to a poor economy, her performance transcends labels like ‘realistic’ or ‘natural’ and arrives at a place that doesn’t feel like performance at all. She blends in seamlessly with a cast of real nomads playing themselves, living out of vans in the western US, as unconstrained by societal norms as the film itself is by conventional story arcs. We want to see this minimalist lifestyle, which includes seasonal Amazon warehouse gigs and long nights in a freezing cold van, as depressing or unfulfilling, but writer/director/producer/editor (Jesus!) Chloe Zhao dares us to admire both the freedom and sense of community formed among this nomadic subculture. Cinematographer Joshua James Richards also plays with our expectations, bathing the screen in soothing blues and purples, transforming the unremarkable landscape into a thing of beauty.

#6. Da 5 Bloods

Director: Spike Lee

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Norm Lewis

In Da 5 Bloods, writer/director Spike Lee deviates from his usual urban American setting to explore the tropical forests of Vietnam, but his focus remains fixed on the African American experience, their plight and search for justice. His subjects are a group of Vietnam War vets who reunite in present day Ho Chin Minh City to retrieve a cache of gold bars left behind some 50 years prior, originally part of a political transaction, as we see in appropriately grainy 4:3 full screen flashbacks. The reason for this mission is more righteous than a simple payday, but Lee refuses to paint these complex characters with the same brush--there’s even a MAGA in the bunch!--nor does he oversimplify the film’s profound issues. A genre-defying work, Da 5 Bloods is a character study, social commentary, war picture and action/adventure flick all rolled into one with some truly shocking developments and one of the finest casts of the year. How Delroy Lindo was denied an Oscar nomination for his volatile performance is beyond me.

#5. Promising Young Woman

Director: Emerald Fennell

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie

In one of the most unique films of the year, Carey Mulligan delivers a brave, bold and beautiful performance as Cassie, a woman with a tragic past who spends her weekends at the club pretending to be blackout drunk, only to shame and humiliate the sleazy men who try to take advantage. Writer/director Emerald Fennell does a masterful job at peeling back the layers of this dark revenge tale ever so gradually to reveal Cassie’s true motives while rebuking, not just society’s abhorrent offenders, but those enablers and silent bystanders who try to hide behind a flimsy shroud of innocence. Benefiting from one of the sharpest screenplays of the year and a fitting score, Promising Young Woman never ceases to ramp up the tension, a strategy that culminates in a shocking final sequence which is at once disturbing and satisfying. It’ll all leave you guessing until the final, brilliant shot.

#4. The Invisible Man

Director: Leigh Whannell

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid

Originally conceived as part of the ill-fated ‘Dark Universe’--Universal Pictures’ planned movie franchise featuring its classic monsters--and starring Johnny Depp, The Invisible Man was drastically retooled and produced as a stand-alone film with a modernized story. And like so many horror projects of the last decade, it’s refreshingly inspired and well-crafted with a deeper purpose than merely spooking its audience, though it succeeds at that as well. Writer/director Leigh Whannell uses this movie and the fearless performance of the great Elisabeth Moss to examine abusive partners and their persistent hold on their lovers-turned-victims long after the relationship has collapsed. Moss is stunning as usual, portraying an already traumatized woman trying desperately to convince everyone she’s not going crazy as well, even though that’s exactly how it looks. Equally impressive is the restraint by the filmmakers who use the ‘invisible’ effects sparingly yet strategically, creatively and, ultimately, very effectively, making every scare plausible and entirely earned.

#3. Sound of Metal

Director: Darius Marder

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, Paul Raci

In a world in which people are complaining about losing their freedom because they have to wear a simple mask to save lives, it’s good to see a film that shows what real loss looks like. If you can’t imagine being a heavy metal drummer who suddenly goes deaf, writer/director Darius Marder spells it out for you in big, bold, sorrow-inducing letters. He’s aided by Riz Ahmed giving possibly the best performance of the year as a man who, on the surface, tries desperately to hold on to his life and passion while, deep down, he knows that’s impossible. Sound of Metal is a tender and heartbreaking yet hopeful story, but what’s even more effective than the film’s dramatic presentation is its remarkable sound design. At times, characters sign to each other amidst ambient noise. Other times, the sound is muffled as if we’re putting our ears up to a wall and hearing a fraction of the dialogue from the other side. And, less frequently, when Ruben’s condition is at its worst, we hear nothing at all. Just complete and terrifying silence…which speaks volumes.

Full Review: https://thefilmsnob.tumblr.com/post/647329085467574272/sound-of-metal-out-of-5

#2. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Starring: Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Frank Langella, Michael Keaton, etc, etc, etc...

Aaron Sorkin could write about two accountants conducting a routine audit and make it absolutely absorbing. So, imagine what he does with a courtroom drama about the volatile situation surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the group of anti-Vietnam War protestors accused of inciting riots at the event. Now an accomplished director too, Sorkin organizes all the moving pieces involved with style and grace while deploying his famously kinetic dialogue. With those lines coming from the mouths of his stellar cast, it’s hard not to hang on their every word and be invested completely in their struggle. I could listen to Mark Rylance’s showstopping line-reading of the simple phrase, “No, he doesn’t!”, all day and never get tired of it. Among its many achievements, The Trial of the Chicago 7 deftly navigates heavy topics like police brutality, unpopular wars and a corrupt justice system, showing just how little things have changed in the last 50 years.

#1. Palm Springs

Director: Max Barbakow

Starring: Cristin Milioti, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons

Anyone who knows me may be surprised by this pick, but here we are. Nothing makes sense these days. We’re all as confused and anxious about life as Sarah and Nyles are at a wedding in Palm Springs. Despite what the title suggests, the film doesn’t follow a group of horny teens getting up to shenanigans in the famous resort town, but if I describe the actual plot in depth, I may spoil the fun. I will say these characters seem to be reliving the same events over and over again. What’s so impressive about this film is that, although it repeats itself, it never feels repetitive. The twists and turns, the absurd hilarity blended with bracing poignancy, ensure our unwavering focus on this briskly paced little gem. Yet, it’s the irresistible chemistry between the two leads, played by the equally irresistible Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg, that forms the glue that holds it all together, whether they’re pulling off childish pranks, discussing their unusual sex lives or debating the very meaning of life. I’m telling you, this movie has everything: comedy, drama, romance, science-fiction (?!), J.K. Simmons, several weddings, an inflatable pizza slice, dinosaurs, a crossbow and colourful beer cans and summer wear that seem destined to become iconic.

[brajeshupadhyay]

Biden’s delay in choosing a running mate intensifies jockeying between potential picks

The dynamic threatens to undermine Biden’s effort to use the vice-presidential search to spotlight some of the party’s brightest female stars during the highly public vetting process. And it’s already providing President Trump’s campaign an opening to dig up dirt and launch attacks on potential rivals.

“It’s been relentless. It’s been unfortunate. But I must say it’s been predictable,” said Donna Brazile, a former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee. “It’s extremely disappointing, because many of these attacks . . . are being made by Democratic men who should know better.”

“I would hope that in this selection process, we are mindful that Black women — and women of color — deserve respect,” she added.

The increasing nastiness is fueled by a sense, even among Biden’s closest advisers, that Biden is entering the final phase of the search without a clear favorite. Rather than a traditional “shortlist” of three candidates, people close to the process expect him to interview five or six finalists for the position.

Several people interviewed said the delay has intensified currents, many of them sexist, that have been swirling for weeks. The resulting backbiting risks inflaming divisions within the party that complicated the 2016 campaign — but that Biden has worked to coalesce since locking down the nomination in the spring.

In recent days a Politico report surfaced that former senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who is on Biden’s vice-presidential vetting panel, told donors that Sen. Kamala D. Harris “had no remorse” for her attacks on Biden while on a debate stage. One donor implied to CNBC that Harris has too much “ambition.” And former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, a longtime Biden friend, told CNN that Harris can “rub people the wrong way.”

Some of the comments are being made by high-ranking Democrats pushing alternative candidates such as Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) and more recently Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), making some worry that women of color are being forced to kneecap one another.

“It bugs me that people want to pit these two Black women against the other,” said Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), a key Biden confidant, referring to the burgeoning Bass vs. Harris narrative. “Nobody is trying to pit Sen. Elizabeth Warren against [Michigan Gov. Gretchen] Whitmer. And both of their names are being mentioned every day as being in the search.”

“It is messier than it should be because somebody is trying to create a story,” Clyburn added.

In recent days the negative attention has focused on Bass, who has gone out of her way to stress that she is unable to “envision” herself as president. In 2008, former president Barack Obama told Biden to view the vice presidency as the “capstone” of his career, and Biden has said that he sees his relationship with Obama as a model.

The Trump campaign immediately seized on Bass’s history with Cuba. “Joe Biden and Karen Bass Would Invite Castro’s Communism into America,” read a headline on a Trump campaign news release. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), in a press call with reporters, warned that if selected she’d be “the highest-ranking Castro sympathizer in the history of the United States government.”

Bass went on NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday to show how she’d address those accusations, saying “I don’t consider myself a Castro sympathizer” and she characterized her position on Cuba as “really no different than the position of the Obama administration.”

She’s also pushed back on the notion that she and Harris should be compared with one another. Bass and Harris spoke privately at a memorial service for the late congressman John Lewis last week. “It was good,” Bass said of the conversation during a Friday interview on “The Breakfast Club.” “She said ‘We ain’t doing that.’ It was fine.” Bass added: “I’m not the anti-Kamala.”

Biden’s decision to eliminate men from the selection process has meant that many of the candidates who would traditionally be considered for this role, like Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), are off the table. There’s been no speculation about Andrew M. Cuomo, even as the New York governor’s star rose during his daily coronavirus briefings. Vanquished contenders like former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee or former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg have also faded from the national conversation as the spotlight shifted to women.

And many noted that the competition to become the second-most-powerful person in the country is always going to be fierce. “It’s natural that it’s competitive,” said Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) “It’s historic regardless of who he chooses, so that probably adds to the intensity of it.”

For her part, Harris allies have been lobbying the Biden team in public and in private. Top racial justice lawyer Ben Crump, who represents the family of George Floyd, penned an op-ed for CNN supporting her candidacy. Behind the scenes, powerful allies like Glenda Baskin Glover, the head of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and president of Tennessee State University, wrote to Biden’s vetting team urging them to select Harris — a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post.

And Harris attempted to use the attacks on her “ambition” as a weapon.

“There will be a resistance to your ambition,” she said Friday during Black Girls Lead 2020, a virtual conference for young Black women. “There will be people who say to you, ‘You are out of your lane,’ because they are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be. But don’t you let that burden you.”

She also received an assist from Biden campaign manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon that came soon after Dodd’s comment. “Ambitious women make history, change the world, and win,” O’Malley Dillon said in a social media post.

Biden’s timeline for picking a vice president has slipped significantly. He initially said he would make the decision by Aug. 1, then said it would be the first week of August. Now the campaign is signaling that it will likely wait until the second week of August.

In an interview, Clyburn said Biden has only told him that he will make up his mind “before the convention.” In 2008 and 2012, vice presidential candidates were announced just days before the convention.

Clyburn also said he believes it would be a “plus” for Biden to select a Black woman, but added the former vice president does not like being told what to do — and he provided some hint that he can’t endorse one of the candidates.

“Of the 12 names out there, with one exception, I know all of them,” Clyburn said in an interview with The Post. “There’s one person that I don’t know.” Clyburn declined to say who on the list is unknown to him. (He made a similar comment on MSNBC last week, leading to speculation that he was throwing shade at former national security adviser Susan E. Rice, but Clyburn balked at that interpretation. “I know Susan Rice very, very well,” Clyburn said.)

He said that he’s trying to approach Biden carefully with his advice.

“Ultimatums are not good,” Clyburn said. “I’m not going to tell the vice president what he must do.” He warned that pushing Biden too hard can backfire. “Nobody wants to be forced,” Clyburn said.

Others are taking a far different approach in the final days. The Rev. William Barber, a leader of the Poor People’s Campaign, and roughly 50 other leading Black clergy members sent an open letter to Biden’s campaign Friday “insisting” that he select a Black woman.

“We are writing to caution the Democratic party that it takes Black enthusiasm, the key determinant for turnout, for granted at its own peril” according to the letter, which predicts that a Democratic ticket that includes a Black woman will result in Black turnout that exceeds Obama’s numbers in that community.

The decision will automatically elevate whichever woman is selected, either making history by installing her as the first female vice president or giving her a head start for the 2024 campaign should the ticket fail — which is a key reason that the stakes are so high.

The Biden campaign has been tight-lipped about its contenders. But that hasn’t stopped allies and friends from speculating.

“If I had to bet my life on who would be the candidate, I’d still bet Harris,” said Rendell, who is raising money for Biden and frequently talks to his top campaign officials. “She has the least negatives, she’s the most polished. She’s the person who can take on [Vice President] Pence in a campaign debate.”

But he also made it clear how volatile the process has been. “The buzz the in the last three weeks — not this week — but the last few weeks, the buzz was Susan Rice,” Rendell said last Thursday.

Her demeanor on television fueled the speculation, he said. “She was smiling on TV, something that she doesn’t do all that readily,” Rendell said. “She was actually somewhat charming on TV, something that she has not seemed to care about in the past.”

The interview process for these women has been unusually public. Nearly all of the women in contention have headlined a fundraiser with Biden and appeared during at least one virtual event with his wife, Jill — a strong signal that Biden will closely consult his wife as he makes his decision.

The exchanges give each potential vice president some time to develop a rapport with Biden. On Friday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) headlined a grass-roots fundraiser for him and at one point Biden apologized for going on too long.

“No! Don’t be sorry,” Warren said. “I love everything you had to say.”

The post Biden’s delay in choosing a running mate intensifies jockeying between potential picks appeared first on Shri Times News.

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[chiseler]

The Chiseler Interviews Jonathan Rosenbaum

The Chiseler’s Daniel Riccuito discusses pre-Code talkies, noir and leftist politics with one of America’s leading film critics.

DR: We share a common enthusiasm for early talkies. Do you have any favorite actors, writers or storylines relating to the period’s ethnic, often radically left-wing, politics? I'm thinking of the way that, say, The Mayor of Hell suddenly busts into a long Yiddish monologue. Or movies like Counsellor at Law and Street Scene present hard Left ideas through characters with Jewish, Eastern European backgrounds.

JR: Both Counsellor at Law and Street Scene are plays by Elmer Rice (1892-1967) that Rice himself adapted, and both are terrific films with very good directors (William Wyler and King Vidor, respectively). It's too bad that Rice's plays aren't revived more often today, although a few years ago, the TimeLine theater company in Chicago put on a fantastic, neo-Wellesian production of The Adding Machine. I also had the privilege of knowing Rice's two children with actress Betty Field, John and Judy, who attended the same boarding school in Vermont, both of whom I remember quite fondly.

Although it isn't as politically subversive as the Rice plays, the delightful Jewel Robbery (William Dieterle, 1932) is still a more radical comedy in its treatment of class and sex — specifically, the sexual lure of being robbed as another way of being sexually possessed and enjoyed — than Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise, released a little later the same year. There's also something prophetic about the use of charm, good manners, and marihuana joints to lure the cops away from crime and criminals — another form of sensual appeal, in contrast to the more ethereal romanticism preached by the Lubitsch film, which might be said to value style over content and suggestion over spelling things out. For that matter, even a conservative director like Cecil B. De Mille does amazing things with class and sexual tensions in his melodrama Dynamite (1929) — which deserves to be cherished today at least as much as his subsequent Madame Satan — undoubtedly assisted by at least one Communist (John Howard Lawson) among his screenwriters. Especially in Dynamite, proletarian interests and biases are honored and rewarded at least as much as luxuries and privileges. The convoluted plot may be absurdly contrived, but by getting an heiress (Kay Johnson) married to a coal miner (Charles Bickford) awaiting execution for a crime he didn't commit, the movie gives us archetypes so dialectically opposed that any sexual congress between them virtually guarantees an explosive climax as promised by the title, and De Mille in fact delivers several.

DR: I once compared Elmer Rice's words in the play Counsellor at Law to the final screenplay. There were very definite cuts to his radical (colloquial) language. Bebe Daniels’ character would have put her heart into a (sadly) excised line about police brutality. Rice demonstrated enormous sensitivity to the way everyday people felt and spoke. Do you have a favorite writer — especially where sassy dialogue is concerned?

JR: I wish I did, but that's beyond my range of expertise. However, one name that sparkles for me is Donald Ogden Stewart. He's only one of the four credited screenwriters on Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast's exquisite Laughter (1930) — for me the only early talkie that measures up to F. Scott Fitzgerald in sophistication — along with Herman Mankiewicz and d'Arrast himself, but I like to think that he's the crucial figure.

Donald Ogden Stewart

DR: Oh, I love Laughter! You're making me want to see everything Donald Ogden Stewart ever wrote. You mentioned Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast and Herman Mankiewicz. Could you expand on your interest in either or both of them? Your answer needn't focus on any particular period.

JR: I've been trying for some time to investigate d'Arrast's work, but it's been almost impossible because of all the lost films (apparently Service for Ladies, Serenade, The Magnificent Flirt, and Dry Martini) and/or unavailable films (It Happened in Spain and The Three Cornered Hat). Pierre Rissient, who knew him, denied the rumors about him being antisemitic and argued that he had a lot to do with Hallelujah, I'm a Bum because of all the work he did on preproduction. The other films that he worked on which I've seen —Wings, A Gentleman of Paris, Raffles, and Topaz--all testify to his special qualities.

DR: Hallelujah, I'm a Bum makes me think of Ben Hecht, naturally, but also of Hecht's friend and sometimes co-writer Maxwell Bodenheim who wrote Naked on Roller Skates, one of my favorite books, loaded with 1930s slang.  A weird mix of pulp fiction and experimentalism. We touched on radical leftism and ethnicity earlier... How do you account for full-on communist films like Our Daily Bread getting made in Hollywood? Or what about the social justice films out of Warner Bros., like Wild Boys of the Road, which features little Sidney Miller hurling "Chazzer!" at a cop. I'm sometimes astounded by the open radicalism one finds in early Sound-era films. I even went digging through the Warner archives hoping to find evidence that senior execs might have harbored radical left dreams and discovered an early script of Heroes for Sale, which compared Richard Barthelmess' character to Jesus Christ — after making him a brick-throwing, cop-fighting member of the I.W.W.!

JR: We have to remember that Communist values were very close to being a mainstream position during much of the 30s. I've long maintained, for instance, that Faulkner's Light in August is a Communist novel, simply because Faulkner, for all his eccentricity and conservatism, was part of the mainstream during the Depression. Our national amnesia tends to factor this out of our history, just as (to cite a more trivial but more recent example) America's love for Jerry Lewis throughout most of the 50s, which enabled him to make two or three pictures a year, is not only forgotten but illogically replaced by the so-called (and mostly imaginary) love of the French, as if this were the reason why Lewis could make so many movies in the U.S. and why Sailor Beware made a lot more money than either Singin' in the Rain or On the Waterfront.

I'm a novice when it comes to Ben Hecht — apart from having read Adina Hoffman's excellent recent critical biography of him — because both his cynicism and his contempt for Hollywood are automatic turn-offs for me. But Bodenheim is clearly, at least for me, a Topic For Further Research.

DR: Speaking of leftism in 1930s Hollywood, what connections do you draw between that period and the emergence of noir, in which the old ebullience of the radical left seems to have soured into (a more realistic?) nihilism and anger. Maybe I'm projecting there. In any event, do you find it useful, or perhaps even inevitable, to make connections between pre-Code and noir? I can't help noticing how many forties and fifties films wind up in sewers, industrial parks and abandoned factories, which all feel like inhuman representations of capitalism. Try and Get Me AKA The Sound of Fury is famously based on Jo Pagano's The Condemned, a book coming out of a hard-left perspective. Or do you find other, less political connections between these periods interesting?

JR: I don't find noir more "realistic" than 30s leftism. Au contraire, I find its defeatism and expressionism far more comforting. Closure, no matter how grim or grimy, is always more comforting than ellipsis and suspension — trajectories into possible futures. I think the popularity of noir today has a lot to do with a doom-laden death wish, a desire to escape any sense of responsibility for a future that seems helpfully hopeless — an attitude that "blossoms," decadently, into the Godfather trilogy, where corruption is seen as "tragically" (that is to say, satisfyingly) inevitable. Once the future becomes foreclosed, we're all left off the hook, n'est pas?

DR: Well said, Jonathan. I hereby spare you my own personal dialectic, which ricochets between radical left politics (love, solidarity, hope) and totalizing disgust with human kind. In fact, I only mention that particular tension as a way of pointing out that my last question spoke to broad tendencies. Ever see Chicago Calling? One of Dan Duryea's finest moments! It seems to me that the film, along with the best "dark" post-WWII cinema, not all of it "noir" per se, manages to ricochet that way. Do you have any favorites from the period? If so, what draws you there?

JR: I haven't yet seen either Chicago Calling or Guilty Bystander (another early and obscure noir I just heard about), both of which I'm currently downloading. (Stay tuned...)

Otherwise, noir is too vast a subject for me to comment on at any length just now, except to recommend James Naremore's (for me) definitive book on the subject, More Than Night: Film Noir in its Contexts.

DR: What do you think of Felix Feist’s work?

JR: Based on what I've seen, I'm not a fan.

(Here, we break so that Jonathan Rosenbaum can watch Chicago Calling)

JR: Now that I've watched Chicago Calling, I can't help but reflect that noir and neorealism, contemporary film movements, may actually be opposite sides of the same coin. (Isn't Open City a noir, and The Sound of Fury an alternate version of The Bicycle Thief?) The key traits that they have in common are "postwar" and "originating in Europe," but the key difference that should be acknowledged at the outset is that "noir" in this country wasn't perceived as such when the films that we now identify as "noir" first appeared. Even in France it had a literary connotation because it was a name derived from a book publisher. So it's a way of reinventing and reinterpreting the past, whereas Italian neorealism was perceived as such from the get-go. It also was fundamentally humanist whereas noir was closer to nihilism and cynicism, and its tendency towards political defeatism obviously has a lot to do with its contemporary appeal — absolving us of any responsibility for the messes we live in.

Chicago Calling is closer to neorealism than it is to noir because of its exciting use of natural locations and its focus on working-class characters. Yet as a hard luck story it seems so overdetermined that at times it becomes metaphysical, which places it closer to noir. Dan Duryea is an actor that we mostly associate with noir and metaphysics, so it's refreshing to find him for once in a neorealistic and physical landscape.

DR: I'm interested in your idea that noir veers into the metaphysical realm. Since we started our conversation in the 1930s, which seem grounded in physical reality, I wonder if you have any thoughts on the evolution of noir, its underlying and perhaps unconscious motives. I vaguely recall a film critic whose name escapes me saying "After the war we needed shadows to hide in."

JR: I'd like to ask that film critic why we need to hide. In my experience, some of the same people who love noir also supported and even celebrated both of the Gulf wars and didn't mind at all if the U.S. was torturing a lot of innocent people as long as the innocent people wasn't them — all of which suggests to me a pretty good reason for wanting to hide. But surely defeating the Nazis — unlike some of the brutalities that arise from capitalism-- isn't a very plausible reason for hiding.

DR: I think it was a Hiroshima reference, not sure.

JR: That makes sense. Even though Truman gave no indication of wanting to hide.

DR: Has the Chicago film scene had any influence on you?

JR: For starters, I perceive New York as a separate country — Manhattan as an island — and Chicago as part of the U.S. I also consider New York and Los Angeles (a company town) as provincial in much the same way that my home town in Alabama is provincial: i.e., if something hasn't happened there, it hasn't happened. Whereas Chicago knows that it isn't the center of the universe. And its film scene is decidedly less competitive and turf-conscious, which I find refreshing. There isn't the same cut-throat atmosphere here nor any of the New York or Hollywood arrogance and rudeness.

DR: I've asked you questions that assume connections between aesthetics and politics. I get the sense that you lean "left". But given that political shorthand can be confusing, I'll try being as concrete as possible: your analysis of fascist aesthetics in Star Wars moved me as a critique cutting across the grain of America's image of itself as a liberating force in the world. What are your politics?

JR: Star Wars fosters the idea of a bloodless genocidal massacre, which is part of what made both Gulf wars so popular in this country — seeing war as a video game.

I'm basically a Bernie Sanders socialist who would be happy with an Elizabeth Warren presidency, and I'm also a pacifist. DR: Do your politics relate in substantive ways to your early movie-going experiences? I heard that your father owned a movie theater. I'm also thinking of the distinctions you draw among the various American movie scenes. Was the physical landscape you grew up in an influence on your aesthetic and political values?

JR: My politics were probably affected more by my almost eight years of living in Europe (Paris and London) than by my first sixteen years of living in Alabama. My paternal grandfather owned a small chain of movie theaters, and my father worked for him until the chain was sold in 1960, at which point he became an English professor. He was never a cinephile, but the fact that he'd wanted to be a writer clearly influenced my becoming one.

Growing up in a house designed for my parents by Frank Lloyd Wright also undoubtedly affected my aesthetics, but not my politics, which were formed in part by my 60s involvements in the civil rights and antiwar movements.

As for my view of America's role in the world, I think we tend to be handicapped in our good intentions by the delusion that only three kinds of people exist —Americans, anti-Americans, and prospective Americans — which means that we tend to exclude most of humanity from the playing field.

This interview was conducted via email.

#Jonathan Rosenbaum #The Chiseler #noir #talkies #Dieterle #Chicago Calling #Daniel. Riccuito #Maxwell Bodenheim #Dan Duryea

[ncfan-1]

So I’ve been thinking about the fall-out from Lyle Bolton’s actions in Arkham Asylum for a while. From Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, we know that the Asylum was eventually torn down in favor of building a more modern (and more high-security, though I wonder how effective it really was) facility for the inmates’ treatment, and I’ve started to wonder if maybe that was connected to the fall-out from the whole debacle with Bolton. And I do think there was a debacle, and one with massive fall-out, because there really is no way he could have done everything he’s described as having done by himself, with no one else on Arkham’s staff knowing about it.

Bolton is known to have A) electrified the cell doors at Arkham, B) chained the inmates in their cells at night, and C) took away ‘privileges’ even when the inmates are well-behaved. Electrifying the doors and installing the same sort of wall-mounted shackles we see Bolton using on Summer Gleeson, Mayor Hill, Dr. Bartholomew and Commissioner Gordon (if they are the same sort of shackles Bolton used to restrain the inmates) would have required a lot of work, and even if Bolton does have the expertise to do it himself, it strains credulity that he could have done so without anyone else on the staff noticing. As for the third point, whatever it was Bolton was doing to the inmates that involved taking away ‘privileges’, we don’t know (And the fact that it’s kept so vague tends to worry me). We know that Bolton tormented Arnold Wesker by dangling Mr. Scarface over a can full of termites to torment him, but otherwise, we get no details. My guess is, we get no details because it’s the kind of stuff a kid’s show can’t talk about without getting in trouble with the network. Given that Bolton feels that the treatment the inmates deserve is to be beaten to within an inch of their lives, it probably wasn’t pretty. And was probably the sort of thing that would have been difficult to pull off without some level of collusion from at least some of the staff, either from them actively aiding him, or at least turning a blind eye.

And of course Batman would get involved, because DCAU Batman (at least as of BTAS) is not amused by Bolton’s antics, genuinely wants his rogues to get better, and knows full well that inhumane treatment is not going to make them better. And if I can make the connections I’ve made, he certainly can. So have this mess of speculation and not-fic.

--

[TW: Abuse]

He doesn’t jump on it right away. After the hearing ends with Lyle Bolton’s dismissal, Bruce thinks that maybe, maybe he can put his worries to bed. Thinks that maybe the abuses were committed by Bolton alone, and that everything will be put to rights in Arkham Asylum with him gone. He likes to believe, sometimes, that problems like these have clean, simple solutions, and that the solution will make everything better.

Beyond that, there’s that cynical little voice in the back of Bruce’s mind, the one he tries not to listen to too much but can’t help but hear anyways, pointing out there’s a chance the three rogues at the hearing were lying, or exaggerating. Oh, Bruce has no doubt that Bolton should have been dismissed. His outburst at hearing was grounds enough for dismissal, and the fact that he considers violence against the inmates acceptable as anything other than a last resort makes him unsuitable to watch over them; the way he manhandled Crane (who, for God’s sake, typically only weighs about ninety pounds by the time he gets hauled back to Arkham after a breakout that’s lasted any real length of time, because when he goes off his meds he almost completely forgets to eat; once he’s beaten, he rarely actually needs to be manhandled, let alone picked up into the air like a ragdoll) when Bruce and Dick brought him back to the Asylum was definitely not appropriate behavior. But still, Bruce can’t help but wonder if maybe Quinn and Crane and Wesker were exaggerating the way Bolton treated them, or outright lying, because they were afraid the truth wouldn’t be enough to get Bolton fired and they needed to make him blow his top, do—or say—something that couldn’t just be laughed off. (Or maybe, the very cynical voice suggests, they were just trying to get rid of him because he was the only head of security Arkham had ever had who could actually keep the inmates in their cells. But that answer is just a little too simple, a little too easy. Bruce doesn’t think it’s quite right.)

Bolton spends the next six months being very quiet, and Batman has his hands full, not least because Arkham Asylum has gone right back to being about as secure as a soggy cardboard box, and a lot of his rogues are being much more aggressive than usual. Lyle Bolton is a little nagging sensation in the back of his mind, but not a primary concern.

That changes after the Lock-Up incident. After the Lock-Up incident, Batman has incontrovertible proof of what Crane, Quinn and Wesker claimed during the hearing, and his eyes are firmly fixed upon Arkham Asylum, and what went on there during Bolton’s tenure.

Batman wants the inmates of Arkham Asylum to get better. He wants there to be a day when he doesn’t have to worry that someone’s going to try to blow up the city, or poison the water supply, or commit clown, riddle, Lewis Carroll or otherwise-themed crimes. Torture never made a convict want to be a law-abiding citizen again. Torture never made the insane sane.

He knows Bolton couldn’t have been acting alone in the Asylum. The sort of machinery that would have had to have been installed to electrify the cell doors, shackle the inmates to the wall at night, even if he installed all of it by himself, there’s no way the other guards wouldn’t have noticed. There’s no way the guards performing bed checks at lights-out wouldn’t have noticed that the inmates were shackled to the back wall instead of lying on their beds. He had help.

There isn’t much of an outcry regarding what Bolton did at Arkham; there never was. Though most are much quieter about it than Lyle Bolton, most of the residents of Gotham share his opinion of the Asylum’s inhabitants: they are the scum of the earth, and so long as they’re off the street, what becomes of them is of little concern. Most people only have so much patience for supervillains, after all, and are wary even of those who have been rehabilitated.

Though there isn’t much outcry, Bruce Wayne still pushes for an investigation regarding practices at Arkham Asylum. The primary aim is to determine, exactly, the extent of the abuses Lyle Bolton inflicted upon the inmates under his watch. The secondary aim is to determine what the rest of the staff knew, when they knew it, and what they did about it. District Attorney Janet Van Dorn supports his calls for an investigation. Though, after being kidnapped and nearly killed by them, Van Dorn has precious little love for the rogues of Gotham, she agrees with Batman that the best way to ensure that she never has to deal with them again is for them to be successfully rehabilitated, and that torture is unlikely to help in that regard.

A warrant is issued to seize all Arkham Asylum security tapes from the two and a half months that Bolton was head of security, but when police arrive at the Asylum to retrieve them, they find nothing. All of the tapes from the time Bolton worked at Arkham Asylum are missing. Some very uncomfortable questions are asked of the security staff, but all anyone can figure is that they went missing sometime between Bolton’s being fired and re-emerging as Lock-Up. The police question Bolton, and get nothing. Batman questions Bolton, and gets nothing but a disappointed, muttered “We could have worked together,” and sullen silence.

Lyle Bolton is transferred to another facility not long afterwards. He does legitimately belong in a mental institution, but not the one where he victimized so many people. His presence has been… disruptive, in more ways than one. The staff aren’t sure what they’re more afraid will happen—that one of the other inmates will kill Bolton, or that Bolton will kill them.

The police have recovered the shackles from the back walls of the cells, and upon dusting them for fingerprints, find nothing. No tapes, and no fingerprints, and with that, the investigation promptly stalls.

The staff of Arkham Asylum has formed a neat little stone wall. Apparently, no one knows exactly what Bolton did to the inmates; when confronted with the documentation of electrified doors and shackles on the back walls, every single guard, janitor, medical doctor, kitchen worker and psychiatrist claims to have no idea they were there. Beyond that, no one has any idea what else Bolton may or may not have done to the inmates. Batman is stonewalled just as much as the police are, and for the life of him, he can’t figure out who genuinely doesn’t know anything, and who’s lying to conceal their own involvement.

Surprisingly, the inmates are stonewalling the police (and Batman) just as much as the staff are. Batman doesn’t try too hard to get anything out of them; honestly, he doesn’t trust them a lot more than they trust him, and that cynical voice in the back of his head is still pointing out that he can’t be sure that anything they tell him is the truth. Regardless of worries about lying, he knows that if Bolton had active accomplices and they’re still working in the Asylum, having been known to have given information either to the police or to Batman could put them at risk. Batman doesn’t want that. If any of them are hurt, it shouldn’t be because they tried to do the right thing.

But he does pay unscheduled visits to the Asylum on a frequent basis. Over the staff, he looms, making sure they know exactly how he’d feel about any ‘funny business’ starting up again. The inmates, he watches from a distance, listening. They might not be willing to talk to him, or to the police, but they do talk amongst themselves, and there’s always the chance that someone will let slip something that Batman can use as a starting point.

Nothing. No one ever speaks of Lyle Bolton. No one ever references the two and a half months he reigned over Arkham Asylum. The rogues, they seem less… energetic than Batman would have imagined. He’d heard tales of food fights in the cafeteria and the inmates constantly baiting the guards. Constant minor squabbles and reconciliations, little games the bored play to pass the time. Book-swapping, gossip-passing, stealthily sharing the latest contraband food to be smuggled into the Asylum. But instead, they all seem very subdued. They sit huddled together in groups, holding their conversations in hushed tones, and on the occasion when a fight does break out, there is an edge to it that screams desperation rather than the bored and restless simply blowing off steam.

The three from the hearing sit together whenever they end up in the cafeteria at the same time. That strikes Batman as a little… odd. Crane and Quinn are friendly with one another, yes, and so are Quinn and Wesker, but by all accounts Wesker used to avoid Crane like the plague. Batman supposes there’s nothing quite like being threatened with a beating in front of a bunch of doctors and public officials to bring unlikely friends together.

When listening in on the rogues’ conversations proves fruitless, Batman pays more discreet visits and listens in on the psychiatric staff instead. Maybe someone’s confided something in their therapist.

He gets no more about Lyle Bolton than he already knew, but what else he gets can’t help but grab his attention. Apparently, Bolton didn’t allow any of the psychiatric staff into the cell blocks during his stay, for security reasons; if a psychiatrist saw one of the inmates, it was when the inmate was brought to them, rather than the other way around. But they still have stories to tell, if you listen carefully.

There has been a marked change in the behavior of many of the inmates at Arkham Asylum. Oh, for those who were to start with belligerent and uncooperative, it’s not much of a change, but many patients who had been making real progress have not simply stalled out, they’ve actually regressed.

Harvey was never really inclined to think of the psychiatrists of Arkham Asylum as his friends, but in the time before Lyle Bolton came to Arkham, he had become fairly respectful of—and Two-Face docile around—his therapist. Cooperative, even. But now, the spirit of cooperation has been quite obviously burned away. In place of respect and docility, there is now naked hostility, manifesting itself in insults and, occasionally, physical violence. Harvey recently spent the night in solitary after decking a doctor when the hapless man had put his hand on Harvey’s shoulder.

Waylon Jones has turned silent during both one-on-one and group therapy sessions. Before, he’d always been happy to talk his therapist’s ear off, and even if what he revealed was rarely anything of substance, his demeanor towards his doctors—those who treated him like a human being, rather than a sapient crocodile—was nothing but amiable. The bitter, defensive silence the staff gets these days is anything but amiable, and when concerned doctors turn to those inmates Jones might be inclined to listen to, they refuse outright to even try to make him talk. He’s also been doing poorly in his literacy classes—Bolton refused to allow him to attend them, and now that he is able to again, he’s been showing significantly less interest than he used to, though the doctors think (hope) he might be starting to regain interest.

Harley Quinn (it’s hard for Batman to think of her as Harleen Quinzel, for more reasons than one, but the fact that her alias is just a shortened form of her real name certainly doesn’t help) was, just before Bolton arrived, deemed sufficiently rehabilitated to be released. She wound up right back in Arkham not long afterwards, but still, the fact that she was let out at all suggests that she had been making a great deal of progress.

Batman can find no trace of that progress now. Harley is apparently almost uniformly refusing to confide anything in the doctors, not even Dr. Leland, whom she was close to, once. She’s grown aggressive, sometimes outright defiant to the guards. She’s become increasingly clingy towards and emotionally dependent on any of the rogues she considers a friend. And the Joker…

Well. Once upon a time, Dr. Leland (with the unofficial help of fully half the rogues’ gallery; the unanimous opinion is that Harley and the Joker’s relationship is a flaming train wreck, and the half that actually cares about Harley’s wellbeing has been trying to get her to dump him for ages) had actually been making decent strides towards getting Harley to not just acknowledge that her relationship with the Joker is an abusive mess, but to go the extra mile of breaking things off with him, too. Once upon a time, it had looked like Harley might leave the Joker for good. Nowadays, she clings to him even more than before, will do anything he asks her to do, even the sort of thing she would have balked at not so long ago. Her entire world hinges on the Joker’s approval, and if she can’t get it, the whole world might as well be gone, she’s so abjectly miserable.

Batman hears other things, too. Like how patients who had already been prone to panic attacks—Arnold Wesker, Jervis Tetch, and Jonathan Crane, among others—are having them with increased frequency now. Like how patients who’d had panic attacks less frequently, or not at all—Edward Nygma, Maxie Zeus, Mary Dahl and, most noticeably, Pamela Isley—have started having them, too.

Eventually, a warrant will be issued for Arkham’s medical records during Bolton’s tenure. Before that day comes, Batman pays a more discreet visit to the filing room where such records are kept. The medical records, at least, haven’t gone missing the way the surveillance tapes did—an oversight on Bolton’s part, or simple arrogance. Batman starts reading.

Just to get an idea of what the situation in the infirmary is usually like, Batman first reads the medical records from the month leading up to Bolton’s hiring (He spends many a night hiding out in the filing room; maybe it would be easier to make copies of the records, or to take them back to the Batcave while he needed them, but this time, he can’t risk any potential evidence being seen as ‘contaminated’). Most of the files’ contents refer to illness rather than injury—head colds, rashes, the occasional bout of food poisoning or flu. Injuries are mostly minor, and less common than Batman would have expected. Serious fights are more likely to be verbal than physical, and the guards can usually pull fighting inmates off of each other before they can do each other any real harm. Inmates who are suspected to be contemplating suicide are put on suicide watch and handled like something made of glass until its deemed safe to take them off of suicide watch. Rarely does one of the inmates manage to make an attempt beforehand; even the most apathetic of the doctors on the staff take notice when someone makes such an insinuation.

During Bolton’s time as head of security, there’s an uptick in, well, everything. Injuries consistent with the effects of touching an electrified door, with having your arms restrained in an unnatural position for hours at a time, every night. That much, Batman expected, though it still makes him grind his teeth, just a little bit. He reads on, and on, and what he reads makes him want to punch a sizable dent in the nearest filing cabinet.

Many of the inmates were admitted to the infirmary with injuries that, officially, were inflicted after they initiated altercations with the guards. Not just the ones who were known for being belligerent, the ones who were known for picking fights. When Arnold Wesker, who was typically completely non-violent, was admitted for such a reason, the observant mind had to take notice.

Still more were admitted with symptoms of malnourishment, allegedly because the inmates involved had gone on hunger strikes. One of the names that came up for that is Waylon Jones, of all people, which, as far as Batman is concerned, strains credulity far beyond the breaking point. Yes, Waylon Jones, aka Killer Croc, has been known to eat people. However, he is hardly enthusiastic about cannibalism, at least not when he is completely rational. One of the symptoms of his disease is that, after a few days with no food, everything flesh and blood starts looking like a viable food source; back when Jones still talked to any of the doctors, one thing that they had been able to pin down quite definitively is that the single overwhelming feeling Jones associates with his forays into cannibalism is disgust. For Jones to have willingly turned down food for as long as the files say he did beggars belief.

(The medical records also note that Jones spent most of Bolton’s tenure in a muzzle. The urge to punch a filing cabinet rises.)

The rate of suicide attempts sees an increase, with the inmates in question more likely to be placed in solitary confinement than on suicide watch.

The night Batman and Robin brought Crane back to Arkham, he was admitted to the infirmary with a sprained wrist and bruising that, officially, he picked up when he was apprehended. Truth be told, it wouldn’t be the first time Batman had delivered a rogue to Arkham a bit bruised—hell, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d delivered Crane to Arkham a bit bruised, and there were some rogues and some nights where if the only injuries anyone had were bruises and sprains, Batman counted himself fortunate. But he didn’t punch or kick someone who wasn’t fighting, and Crane… hadn’t even tried to fight. He’d tried to run, but when Batman and Robin had caught him, he’d immediately turned to pleading. He hadn’t gotten those injuries from either Batman or Robin.

Isley had spent the entirety of Bolton’s tenure in and out of the infirmary, usually camped out under a UV lamp. Security claimed that she refused to go outside when it was her turn to go out into the yard, which honestly sounded about as likely as Waylon Jones willingly refusing food. A quirk of Pamela Isley’s physiology means that, much like most species of plants, she is dependent on sunlight for her health. A few days without sunlight, and her health begins to deteriorate. Quickly. Luckily, the infirmary already had a UV lamp on hand, for times when Isley isn’t allowed to go outside, and for the winter months, when sunlight is scarce. If not, well, no one knows for certain if it’s possible for Isley to die from lack of sunlight, but that isn’t the sort of thing that should ever be tested.

Other similar incidents can be found without even having to dig for them, and Batman’s question of the hour becomes: how many times can a person plausibly put two and two together and come up with any number but four?

If… If those who had the power to dismiss Bolton saw what was happening and yet did not dismiss him, Batman has a good idea of why. He knows, or thinks he does, why Bolton would have been allowed to stay on even if abuse was suspected.

Very few of the people working at Arkham Asylum truly wanted to work there. Sure, some of the rogues have fans, but anyone who’s obvious about it gets screened out during the hiring process (Especially after what happened with Harley). But most people do not want to spend their days in close proximity with some of Gotham’s most dangerous, most volatile criminals—and the Joker, who’s in a class all by himself as far as danger and volatility goes. Enough of the staff have been killed over the years that Arkham is everyone’s least desirable workplace.

Somebody who’s working in Arkham as a janitor or a cook is probably doing it because they got laid off and they still need to pay the bills as they frantically send their résumé out in every direction. Much the same goes for the non-police security staff—and if the GCPD loans out an officer to work at Arkham for a while, it’s usually as punishment for some infraction.

If you are any kind of doctor working in that place, general practitioner, surgeon or psychiatrist, that is almost invariably a sure sign that your career is just over. Arkham is where a doctor goes when there’s just no one else who’ll take them anymore, especially the psychiatrists. Dr. Leland wound up in Arkham after she blew the whistle on a corrupt superior, and was blacklisted for her troubles. Dr. Bartholomew once worked in an office that was later discovered to be running drugs for the mob; Bartholomew himself was clean, but guilt by association is a powerful thing, and out of everywhere he sent his résumé, Arkham was the only place that ever answered.

Arkham is permanently understaffed and empty positions are incredibly difficult to fill, so when someone comes along looking for a job, unless they’re so unsubtle that they can’t help but send up red flags during the interview, they’re usually hired, with minimal questions asked. Heck, in the intervening months between his being fired from Gotham University and his putting on a costume and joining the ranks of Gotham’s rogues’ gallery, Jonathan Crane had worked at Arkham as a psychiatrist, which should really tell you something about the quality of the background checks the Asylum runs on potential employees. (Batman’s opinion is simply that the Asylum staff should just count themselves lucky that, when he was still rational enough to care, Crane kept the professional and personal parts of his life firmly separate.)

The Asylum’s staff is desperate to retain anyone even slightly competent at their work. The bare-bones definition of Lyle Bolton’s job is ‘keep the inmates from escaping,’ and by that bare-bones, far-too-basic definition, Lyle Bolton was the most successful head of security Arkham’s ever had. But he abused the inmates under his watch. The staff is desperate, and desperation can make people do things they never thought they’d do, but here’s the thing…

…Okay, look. Batman has this thing that he does under certain circumstances, regarding the Arkham rogues. He’s read up on them, researched their histories, and he will think to himself one thing he learned about them from their lives before they turned to crime.

For instance, the Riddler once blew out all the circuits in his first apartment trying to operate several homemade appliances. Much to the horror of his landlord, he kept going until he finally got it right.

When she was a little girl, Poison Ivy loved Snow White. She loved Snow White so much that she would have dressed up as the eponymous princess every year at Halloween if her parents had let her.

Baby Doll got into Shakespeare almost immediately after quitting her sitcom. Her favorite role was Lady Macbeth, and while everyone else thinks her performance was awful, Batman kind of likes it.

The only real consensus his former students can come to regarding the Scarecrow is that he was very easily distracted. Mention ‘fear’ to him, or any other concept in psychology that he felt even a little strongly about, and unless someone stopped him he would completely forget what he was supposed to be talking about, and just talk about that for the rest of the lecture.

Mr. Freeze used to sing karaoke at a bar on the East End. Badly.

Somewhere, there is a home video of an underage Harley Quinn doing beer pong with her sorority sisters until she fell out of her chair and literally could not get up again. She just lied there, giggling, while one of the other girls tried and failed to get her on her feet again.

It would help with the Joker if Batman actually knew anything about his past. But there was that one time he slipped on a fallen pie during a chase and face-planted right onto the sidewalk.

Harvey… Harvey.

When the Arkham rogues are on the loose, causing chaos, Batman tells himself these things to remind himself that they aren’t forces of nature. They are not unstoppable. They are simply human, and they can be beaten.

Afterwards, he tells himself these things to remind himself that they are human. That they’re people. That not a single one of them was always one of Gotham’s fearsome rogues’ gallery. Everyone here was someone else before. Oh, sure, there are plenty who were never perfectly pleasant people, but not a single one of them came into the world cackling and wreaking havoc, any more than he came into the world already a vigilante. Something happened, just like something happened to him, and if they used to be something other than what they are now, then maybe…

Bruce Wayne talks to Harvey. He’d hoped to avoid having to go to his friend for information, knows he could be putting Harvey at risk doing this, but the staff is still sticking to their chorus of “saw nothing, heard nothing, did nothing.” The police need something new to go on.

“Harvey, please.”

“No, Bruce. It’s not going to change anything; we both know that.”

“Yes, it will. I know Bolton couldn’t have pulled off everything by himself. If the police could figure out who helped him, if they had some idea of who to look at and put pressure on—“

“Bruce, they all helped him.” From across the glass, Harvey sounds very tired, and Bruce feels his heart sink. Of course, Harvey doesn’t sound like he used to—the explosion damaged his vocal cords, just as it damaged his face. But every time Bruce goes to see him, Harvey sounds more tired, more worn-out, more hopeless, and less like the man Bruce knew, what feels like an eternity ago. “Whether by actively abetting him or by pretending they weren’t seeing what was going on right in front of them, they all helped him.”

Bruce feels his heart sink even further, but the distinction is an important one—it means the search can be narrowed down a bit for now. “Well, what about the ones who actively aided him. The police can start with them.”

There comes silence, and Bruce wonders if Harvey will refuse again. But then, there comes a shift. Harvey’s jaw clenches, his shoulders hunching, and his eyes grow colder, his gaze more intent.

Bruce stiffens. “I was talking to Harvey,” he says, with an edge to his voice that isn’t really Bruce at all.

“You get me,” comes the growled response. “You want those scum’s names, don’t you?”

It isn’t quite how Bruce would have liked it, but in the end, he gets enough information for Batman to give a few names to Commissioner Gordon, and really get the investigation rolling again.

Once Gordon has those names to go on, the whole thing starts unraveling quickly. Bolton’s most active accomplices aren’t exactly hardened criminals; most of them spill the beans after a few hours in a GCPD interrogation room. It’s more a matter of connecting Bolton to the incidents detailed in the Asylum medical records, confirming that he did indeed have active accomplices (and who those accomplices are), and establishing that really, the rest of the staff should have been able to figure out what was going on, rather than unearthing any other deep, dark secrets. Without the surveillance tapes, there’s no way to precisely determine the true extent of the abuses committed under Bolton’s watch, but the information the GCPD (and Batman) have is enough.

It is at this point that certain of the inmates are interviewed; the risk to them has been deemed low enough now that they might be willing to share a bit more. Truth be told, no one really gets any new information out of them—Harley and Nygma in particular spend their interview time apparently trying to figure out how fast they can turn sober cops to drink—but those willing to talk corroborate, in bits and pieces, the information the GCPD already possesses.

Once replacements can be found, most of the Asylum staff any higher in the hierarchy than the janitors are either invited to resign or outright fired. Every member of the psychiatric staff besides Dr. Leland is forced out, including Dr. Bartholomew. Oh, certainly, he wasn’t allowed in the cell blocks any more than the other psychiatrists, but most agree that it seems impossible that all of this could have been happening under Dr. Bartholomew, the head of psychiatry’s nose, and him completely oblivious.

Officially, Dr. Leland is kept on because it’s felt that there’s a chance that she could have been genuinely oblivious—she was barred from the infirmary as well as the cell blocks—and because she has a record as being a genuinely diligent doctor. Unofficially, there is speculation that she is kept on because having the psychiatric staff be full of personnel new to the Asylum, with no one more experienced available to guide them, is a recipe for disaster. Either way, she goes on being just as dedicated as she ever was.

Bruce can’t help but feel as though the rot in Arkham is something that isn’t going to go away simply because of a change in the faces that work there. This isn’t just a metaphorical thing, either. The building dates back to the nineteenth century, and has been rather poorly maintained over the years; among other things, the roof has a tendency to leak, and mold infestations are a common source of illness among staff and inmates alike. So Bruce does something Batman can’t do; he funds the building of a more modern (and hopefully more secure) facility.

It takes a few years, but the new facility is eventually ready for habitation, and Arkham Asylum is left abandoned and partially demolished. Some of the inmates, surprisingly, express dismay (regardless of what a pain in the ass he is when he’s out and about, Crane referring to Arkham as ‘home’ is just kinda sad; he doesn’t even like it there, for crying out loud), but most seem relieved to leave Arkham behind them, even if they aren’t any more enamored of imprisonment at the new facility.

Slowly, very slowly, things start to get a little better again. But even so, Batman likes to pay unscheduled visits to the new facility sometimes. And loom.

(The rogues still don’t trust him any more than he trusts them. But regardless of whether or not they can be rehabilitated, there must be someone willing to protect them from abuse in the place where they ought to be receiving treatment. If not him, then who?)

#Batman: The Animated Series #Meta #TW Abuse #Written because there HAD to be fallout from all of this

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Kerry Kennedy on the civil rights leader she knew – and why the bridge at the heart of Bloody Sunday should be renamedJohn Lewis’s office on Capitol Hill resembled a civil rights museum, with monochrome photos in neat white borders and black frames and a TV for visitors to watch a documentary. Prominent in the room was both a campaign poster and bust of Robert Kennedy, one of Lewis’s closest friends and allies.As America prepares to mourn the civil rights hero who died last week aged 80 with a series of events, Kennedy’s daughter, Kerry, has spoken of her family’s deep sense of loss and joined calls for the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, to be renamed for Lewis.“I loved John,” Kennedy, a member of one of America’s most prominent political dynasties, told the Guardian. “I’ll always miss him and so will my whole family. He means – he meant so much to all of us. The swirl of text messages and emails and phone calls with my whole family when he died was beautiful: ‘Are you OK?’ ‘Can I help you?’ ‘Want to take a walk, be together?’ It was really like somebody in our family had died.”Kennedy, 60, is president of Robert F Kennedy Human Rights, an advocacy organisation Lewis served as a board member. She adds: “He is my hero, not only in the history, but also his demeanour, his love, his style, his peacefulness, his humility. Just somebody who we all want to emulate in every way. Nobody that I know of in the civil rights movement took more knocks to the head and then got up and organised the next protest and did it all over and over and over and over again.”Lewis, who grew up on a farm in the Jim Crow south, and Robert Kennedy, born into east coast political aristocracy and white privilege-plus, were an unlikely pair. As attorney general under his brother, President John F Kennedy, Robert Kennedy approved the wiretapping and surveillance of Martin Luther King. But in May 1963 he hosted a group of black artists and intellectuals, including James Baldwin, and received a humbling lesson in how the administration needed to more ambitious on civil rights.His commitment deepened as he proved willing to travel, engage and grow. That summer he listened to students who endured arrests and beatings in their efforts to desegregate Cambridge, Maryland. Lewis later recalled that during a break in the meetings, Robert Kennedy told him: “John, now I understand. The young people, the students have educated me. You have changed me.”He formed a special bond with Lewis, a Freedom Rider (riding commercial interstate buses across the south to protest segregation), firebrand organiser of the March on Washington and apostle of nonviolent protest he famously called “good trouble”. In Selma in 1965, Lewis suffered a skull fracture when Alabama state troopers unleashed tear gas, whips and batons on marchers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, on what became known as “Bloody Sunday”.Speaking from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where she is helping keep her 92-year-old mother, Ethel, isolated from the coronavirus, Kennedy reflects: “I think the value my father admired most after love was courage and there was no group that he admired more during the civil rights era than the Freedom Riders. He was was awed by their courage and wanted to understand and John’s conversations with him were about getting to yes.“They weren’t about anger slogans or the outrage that, of course, John totally deserved to feel. It was about how do we get the Voting Rights Act passed and how do we resolve this crisis in Maryland and how do we find a bus driver to bring the Freedom Riders from Birmingham to Montgomery and protect them along the way?”> I think the value my father admired most after love was courage> > Kerry KennedyWhen Robert Kennedy launched his own bid for the presidency in 1968, he requested that Lewis help organise the black community in Indiana, including a rally in the biggest black neighbourhood of Indianapolis. But when Robert Kennedy flew in, the city’s white mayor, Richard Lugar, called him to say King had been assassinated in Memphis and the event would have to be cancelled.Kennedy continues: “Lugar said to him, Martin Luther King has been killed by a white man, there are cities burning, protests and looting in cities across the country, you cannot go to that rally. There is no way to provide your safety if you go. I will not allow the police to go with you.“Daddy called John Lewis, who said: ‘Come, these are your people, they’ve been waiting for hours. The people in the front of the crowd had, in fact, been waiting for hours and they hadn’t heard the news but people in the back of the crowd had heard the news and a bunch of them came with bicycle chains and chair legs and molotov cocktails, and they were ready to riot.“My father said to Richard Lugar, ‘You might want not to go there but I could go there tonight with my 10 children and my pregnant wife and sleep on the street and we’d be perfectly safe.’ He said that not out of bravado but because he had worked for so long and so intimately with John Lewis and the other community organisers there, so he had credibility. This was not like walking into some foreign country for him. It was like walking home for him.”Robert Kennedy did attend the rally and, with rare eloquence that caught the mood of the nation, broke the news of King’s death to those who did not know. His daughter says: “He could give that speech, and it had the impact it had, because of the depth of that relationship and trust and also because John Lewis had so much credibility.”The next day, at Kennedy’s request, Lewis went to Memphis to help organise for King’s body to be returned to Atlanta. Lewis also arranged for Kennedy to meet King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, the night before the funeral.The election continued. In California, Lewis was in charge of organising the black vote while the labour leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta organised the Latinx vote. Chavez and Lewis would sometimes canvass together. Kennedy continues: “Oh, my gosh, imagine opening your door and finding Cesar Chavez and John Lewis.“They went to the Ambassador hotel [in Los Angeles] that night and Daddy said to John: ‘I’m very disappointed in you because a higher Latinx vote came out than black.’ So they were joking around and he said: ‘I’ll see you in a few minutes. I just have to go give this speech.’”Shortly after giving a victory speech in the hotel, Robert Kennedy made his way through the kitchen to avoid the surging crowd. Shot at close range, he died aged 42.His daughter recalls: “John was in the hotel room and he said that he just fell to the floor and cried. He cried the whole way back from LA to Atlanta. It was so moving hearing him say: ‘We were flying over the hills and the mountains, and you could still see snow, even though it was June.’”Half a century later, Lewis would later tell Kerry Kennedy in an interview for her book Ripples of Hope: “If it hadn’t been for Bobby, I wouldn’t be involved in American politics … I truly believe something died in all of us. I know something died in me.” ‘More than a mentor’If Robert Kennedy had won the White House instead of Richard Nixon, Lewis’s career would surely have been different. Kennedy, the ex-wife of New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, speculates: “One hundred per cent John would have been involved with the administration. I don’t know at what level he would have been.> John was always there for me personally. I know he was always there for many people“I think the first couple of weeks my father was in the justice department he said: ‘There’s no black lawyers here, what are we doing? We have to recruit from traditionally black colleges and universities and we have to change this and we need more diversity.’ So that was certainly a priority, but who knows what would have happened in 1968.”Instead Lewis represented a Georgia district in the House of Representatives for 33 years, earning a reputation as “the conscience of Congress”, and continued his efforts for social and economic justice.Kennedy says: “I felt like he was always there for me personally. I know he was always there for many people personally but I just felt here’s somebody who’s on your side, who feels your pain when something goes wrong and just wants whatever you’re doing to be good.“It’s very loving: more than a mentor, really kind of a father figure in a lot of ways. I asked him to do things all the time. He never said no, whatever march we were asking to him get in or whatever letter we wanted him to sign or piece of legislation we asked him to co-sign or event we asked him to show up for. It was a drumbeat of yes.”Lewis also helped keep the memory of Robert Kennedy alive.“The thing that he also did is he talked to me and my brothers and sisters and my children and my nieces and nephews about my father in a very personal way. There’s a lot of history so you understand the actions but it’s different to have somebody like John Lewis say this is what he was like, these are our conversations, this is how he treated me.”After Lewis succumbed to pancreatic cancer, he received tributes from Barack Obama and people around the world. On Sunday his casket will make a final crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma before lying in state at the US Capitol in Washington. Kennedy endorses the movement to have the bridge renamed after him instead of Pettus, a lawyer and Confederate general who became a US senator and leader in the Ku Klux Klan.“I think it would be great because Edmund Pettus was a terrible white supremacist and there should not be anything named after him,” she says.“It would be a symbol to Selma and to our country and to the world that we recognise the violence of the past and we are going to atone for it and we are on our way to becoming a more perfect union – one where all people are respected and where every person is treated with dignity.”

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